Louise Dillingham Memorial Fountain

«You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him participate in synchronized diving.»
― Cuthbert Soup, Another Whole Nother Story
Before the television show, «FRIENDS», was popular, I’m pretty sure my high school friends and I jumped into this fountain and waded around one night… Those were the days… hah! But maybe it was just a dream…? I really cannot remember…
Located towards the end of Kalakaua Avenue, you’ll find this grand water feature at the turnabout when you want to head back to Waikiki. Or — just drive past it if you want to go to the Kahala District.
Either way, this Honolulu landmark is dedicated to Louise Dillingham who was married to developer/​businessman Walter F. Dillingham. Louise was an active member of the Board of Parks and Recreation and played an important role in the ongoing efforts to preserve and beautify the Island of Oahu.
Since July 1967, this fountain has entertained tourists and residents alike. I still enjoy listening to the water falling from its heights to the pool below and watching the movement of the water as the wind blows through it… and wonder if my friends and I really did jump in when we were teenagers…

Always wondered why this fountain was here. It’s sort of an unexpected location for a fountain like this, tucked away in the back corner of Kapi’olani Park, in the center of a round-​a-​bout that joins the two directions of Kalakaua Ave, this awkward road layout creating a rather useless cheese-​wedge shaped island of park, disconnected from the rest of the park, that I’ve never heard of anyone using…
The fountain itself is a sight to behold. It’s kind of a shame it’s stuck in a round-​a-​bout that does little to enhance its features. According to the Mayor’s Office, it was gifted to the City by the Walter and Louise Dillingham Foundation, constructed in 1967, and designed by architect Albert Ely Ives (1). Ives appears to have also designed the Castle residence in Kailua that President Obama famously overwintered at and the Kaneohe Ranch Building (2).
Louise Dillingham, among her varied roles in the Honolulu community, was the president of the League of Women Voters and the Outdoor Circle. She was married to Walter Dillingham, the founder of Hawaiian Dredging, the man behind much of the shoreline modifications that occurred in the 19^th and 20^th centuries in Honolulu between Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head, and the son of Benjamin Dillingham, who owned (?) sugar plantations, founded Oahu Railway & Land Co., and (I’m pretty sure but not positive) built Kapi’olani Park (which used to be swampy like the rest of Waikiki and when infilled was originally an equestrian track/​polo field for Honolulu’s elite). (3)
It is therefore fitting that a park feature be named after her, particularly here, however, people never talk about how this fountain was not the first one to be built in Kapi’olani Park. The Phoenix Fountain (see (4) for a photo of it) was a replica of a fountain in Japan gifted in 1919 by Hawaii’s Japanese people in commemoration of the coronation of Emperor Yoshihito of Japan, and torn down after the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor (an interesting commentary on the sentiment that existed in Honolulu during WWII, cringeworthy at best set against the legacy of Hawaii’s Japanese WWII veterans). In the late 1940s, the Parks Department commissioned a simple replacement fountain, and Ives’ fountain design later built on the replacement (4, 5). This is what we see today.
(1)
(2)
(3) Purnell (1998), et al.
(4)
(5)

Thanks to fellow Unilocal Elite (you know who you are) for recently identifying this beautiful fountain that is iconic to Kapiolani Park. It was constructed and dedicated in July 1967 in memory of Louise Dillingham. Who was Louise Dillingham, you might ask? She was the wife of Walter F. Dillingham, an industrialist businessman and urban developer in Hawaii. She served as a long standing member on the Board of Parks and Recreation from and through Hawaii’s Territory, Annexation and Statehood. Her tireless services helped to beautify, preserve and shape some of Oahu’s natural beauty while urbanization around grew.
Since its construction, this beautiful fountain has endured some «innocent» vandalism strikes by having laundry or dish washing detergent or food coloring dumped into its water system. I remember children wading and splashing about while gleefully squealing. The water has been shut off Oh, those innocent days of recent past has given way to signs warning of inappropriate activities that are punishable by monetary fines.
The fountain is beautiful to look at day or night, she serves as a wonderful backdrop to many happy festivities or ceremonies and shares her grandeur with Kapiolani Park and Diamond Head.

Love and marriage, love and marriage… this fountain reminds me of the one in Married with Children (Buckingham Fountain on Chicago to be exact). This fountain is beautiful with Diamond Head as a backdrop. At night it’s even more spectacular since it’s lit. There’s just something about moving water that’s just breathtaking, well in my opinion.
I went with some friends and a dog who had a grand old time playing with the water as it spouted out at night. Good times and a personal water show

Here’s a link to the MOCA entry for the fountain:

Hubby and I took some of our wedding photos here. Beautiful for any type of photos. Especially if you and your friends want to do a «Friends» TV Show pic like we did. You’ll be tempted to jump in… but I’ve heard people have gotten a fine for doing it lol.