7-17-2024 10:08am

Historic Lake Hopatcong State Park Fountain Reopens 99 Years Later

Chris Connors Editor

Community celebrates the restoration of a beloved landmark first opened in 1925; Fountain Turned On Again 99 Years To The Day Since It First Opened.

LAKE HOPATCONG, N.J. – In a celebration marking nearly a century since its original inauguration, Morris County officials, alongside the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum, the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, and numerous state and local dignitaries, reactivated the historic Hopatcong State Park Fountain today. The event took place exactly 99 years after the fountain was first unveiled on July 16, 1925.

The iconic fountain, which had been a favorite cooling spot and photo location for lake visitors until it was closed in the 1990s due to clogging issues, has now been restored thanks to efforts initiated in 2014. This restoration project was funded by the Morris County Board of County Commissioners (formerly the Morris County Freeholders) and carried out by the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum in partnership with the Lake Hopatcong Foundation.

“This project brought the fountain back to being operational for the first time in more than two decades. It revitalizes our community spirit, provides much-needed aeration for the Musconetcong River, and returns a beloved asset to the community to enjoy for another 99 years,” said Commissioner Deputy Director Stephen Shaw.

Shaw also presented a Morris County Historic Preservation plaque to Marty Kane, President of the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum.

Other speakers at the event included Senator Anthony Bucco, Assemblywoman Aura Dunn, Morris County Surrogate Heather Darling, and John Cecil, Assistant Commissioner of State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).

The restoration was supported by $286,981 in Historic Preservation Trust Fund grants, which included:

A 2014 grant for completing a Preservation Assessment.
A 2021 grant for creating Construction Documents related to the preservation and stabilization of the structure.
A 2022 grant for repairing the plumbing system, installing fencing, and addressing the hydrology and filtration of water from Lake Hopatcong to the fountain.

It took approximately 15 to 20 minutes for water to fully flow from the restored fountain after public officials and guests turned the valve exactly 67 rotations to start the nearly 100-year-old hydraulic system. This system was restored and improved by engineering students from Stevens Institute of Technology.

Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey’s largest lake, was originally created by the Morris Canal and served as its highest point and largest water source. The fountain, designed by engineer Cornelius C. Vermeule Jr., remains one of the most significant structures from the Morris Canal abandonment process.

“This restoration would not have been possible without the support of the County Commissioners and the Historic Preservation Trust Fund,” said Marty Kane.

Since its inception in 2003, the Morris County Historic Preservation program has awarded 533 grants totaling more than $50 million to aid in the preservation, protection, and restoration of 123 historical properties across 34 towns in the county.

For more information about the Hopatcong State Park Fountain and to view a video narrated by Marty Kane, visit this link.