Based on a Renaissance fountain, it was originally painted white and included a statuette of a boy, possibly depicting Cupid, though the figure was damaged and permanently removed from the sculpture before or during the 1940s.

Chiming Fountain has been included in published biking and walking tours of Portland and has been mentioned as a highlight of Washington Park in guides recommending family-friendly activities in the city.

It has a pedestal and two round bronze basins separated by a narrow post, and stands in an octagonal concrete base which served as a retaining pool.

[2][8] On the bottom of the pedestal's west side is an unsigned inscription which reads: "J. Staehli/Portland, Org./64 Second St."[2] Staehli's design is based on a Renaissance fountain and was originally painted white.

The central post originally held a figure of a boy carrying a staff (or possibly a fish or a torch) from which water spouted.

However, Mayor Terry Schrunk instructed the parks bureau to begin a restoration after Francis J. Murnane, a local longshoreman and advocate for historic preservation, appealed its removal.

[11][12] Similarly, Chiming Fountain has been included in descriptions of the park in guides recommending child-friendly activities and sites in the city.