#coliseum square

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Water Fountain, Coliseum Square Park, New Orleans, LA.  In the mid-1970s, subsequent to renewed interest in the neighborhood and its architecture and the 1972 formation of the Coliseum Square Association, a park restoration completed by the landscape architecture firm Charles Caplinger and Associates introduced new walks, paved areas, lighting, benches, and two water features, one of which remains. Coliseum Square is part of the Lower Garden District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

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The Lafon Fountain sits in Coliseum Square directly across from the International School of Louisiana, and is named after Creole architect and engineer Bartélemy Lafon, who designed plans for the Lower Garden District. The fountain was built in 1976 but the city ceased operating it to save money in the 1980s. 

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LaFon Fountain, Colisuem Square Park, NOLA. The Lafon Fountain sits in Coliseum Square directly across from the International School of Louisiana, and is named after Creole architect and engineer Bartélemy Lafon, who designed plans for the Lower Garden District. The fountain was built in 1976 but the city ceased operating it to save money in the 1980s

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Entry of Coliseum Square, New Orleans, LA. At its inception in 1972, Coliseum Square Association spearheaded the revival of the newly-coined ‘Lower Garden District’ by leading the fight against a Mississippi River Bridge ramp through the heart of the neighborhood, and by achieving National Register historic designation. In the ensuing years, CSA has worked diligently with the city to institute zoning guidelines that protect historic buildings and ensure appropriate new construction, and has been instrumental in the revitalization of Coliseum Square and other greenspaces, including construction and ongoing maintenance of a favorite neighborhood gathering place ~ the fountain.

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“Birth of a Muse” by Kim Bernadas, Coliseum Square, New Orleans, LA. The sculpture is a cast bronze figure representing one of the nine muses (Terpsichore), who are the namesakes of the Lower Garden District neighborhood.   It creates another entry to the park guarded by a strong female figure; like Margaret Haughery at the Clio St. entrance, and Sophie Wright at the uptown end of the park system. After Hurricane Katrina, the Percent for Art program focused on restoration of public art, and “Birth of a Muse” is the first new work commissioned since then.