Pro Bono Publico Fountain

Built in 1854 for travelers on the Forbidden Drive, formerly the Wissahickon Turnpike, this fountain served clean drinking water for 103 years. Below the park sits an aquifer, an underground layer of permeable rock that holds large amounts of groundwater. Sometimes pressure builds in the aquifer and forces water to the surface, causing a spring. In 1957 the water became too polluted to drink and the fountain was permanently sealed. Wissahickon Valley State Park, Philadelphia PA.