It’s not every day that you see a park fountain with three fish spitting water out of their little fish mouths. But I saw that and more yesterday at this very cool landmark in Norfolk. If you look carefully at the Joseph Battell Fountain, you’ll also see a stream of water exiting from a lion’s mouth, basins, benches and a sundial. Located on a village green where Routes 272 and 44 intersect, this fountain was built in 1889 as a tribute to Joseph Battell. He was a local businessman known for his support of local charitable and civic causes. It’s made out of pink stone with a central round column topped by a sphere and those water spewing fish. Basins or troughs near the ground were designed to water horses. The center column is inscribed with the words: In Memory of Joseph Battell Born in Norfolk 1806 Died in New York in 1874.
