Bear Fountain, ‘Symbol of Helping Others,’ Returning to Geneseo

GENESEO – Almost 130 years to the day, a new bear fountain arrived on Main Street Wednesday morning.

A Village work crew, Rock of Ages and Moorland Studios are now assembling the fountain. The GeneseeSun.com is streaming the project live from the roof of our building, 75 Main Street, on our Facebook page here.

“The symbol of our community is being restored,” said Kurt Cylke, member of the Association for the Preservation of Geneseo (APOG) that commissioned 3D imaging that made the fountain restoration possible after its unfortunate encounter with a milk truck in April 2016. “No matter who you are, how old you are, what your politics are, the bear is a symbol of helping others. It’s delightful that it’s back here to remind people of that sense of community.”

A crane loaded the basin of the original fountain onto the back of a truck. The old fountain left to cheers and clapping by a crowd of over 30 people who had gathered to watch the project.

The original bear fountain was built in 1888.

Granite for the new one was cut from Stony Creek Quarry in Connecticut and chiseled by Rock of Ages in Vermont.

This was the same quarry from which Richard Morris, who designed the bear fountain, found the granite for the base of the Statue of Liberty.

Main Street was closed from about 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Traffic is now open, but drivers are encouraged to use caution or avoid the area because crews are still assembling the fountain.