It was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, and it was cast by the Durenne foundry in France, which had won awards for its cast-iron fountains at earlier international expositions in 1862, 1867 and 1873.

One year later it was purchased by the United States Congress, which offered him only six thousand dollars, half the sum he had originally asked.

The restoration repaired deterioration to the metals inside and out, and also provided modern pumps and motors, a new water treatment and filtration system, and a zinc coating to preserve the original cast-iron of the fountain.

Three figures of women, standing on a triangle pedestal with an ornamental design of seashells and three reptiles spouting water, support the lower cast iron vasque, which is adorned with a circle of 12 lamps.

The cascade of water was illuminated by the gas lamps, which were later replaced with electric globes, making it one of the first monuments in Washington, D.C. to be lit at night, and a popular evening destination in the 1880s.