Thompson Elk Fountain project update

This April, the Portland Water Bureau and partners restored the Thompson Elk Fountain to its historic place on SW Main Street in Downtown Portland.

This project

• Restored and reinstalled the fountain in its original location
• Increased the stability of the Thompson Elk statue
• Complied with standards for the treatment of historic properties
• Retrofitted the fountain with a recirculating water pump 

SW Main Street is closing this June

Beginning Monday, June 22, crews with the Portland Water Bureau are closing Southwest Main Street between Southwest 3rd and 4th Avenues.

The closure will allow crews to repair minor damage to the Thompson Elk Fountain that was caused by a vehicle collision.

The corner of the fountain basin’s south trough was struck by a truck trailer on April 27. Stone was chipped and surface oil staining occurred where the trailer collided. The fountain remains structurally intact and sound.

Crews currently expect repairs to take about two weeks to be completed.

Celebrating partnerships

The City of Portland and our partners celebrated the return of the Thompson Elk statue with a free community event in April 2026.

City representatives, project partners, and donors pose for a ribbon cutting in honor of the elk statue.

Thompson Elk Fountain restoration project is the result of years of careful collaboration: 

• Project contracting and oversight was managed by the Water Bureau.  
• Construction was led by Cedar Mill with subcontractor Pioneer Waterproofing.
• The fountain is maintained by Portland Parks & Recreation. 
• The bronze elk statue is managed by the Office of Arts & Culture.
• The statue is maintained by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.
• Funding for the design phase was raised by the Portland Parks Foundation. 
• The restoration design was donated by Architectural Resources Group.

The City of Portland is committed to providing meaningful access. To request translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, or other auxiliary aids or services, or to file a complaint of discrimination, contact 503-823-4000 (311), Relay Service & TTY: 711

Traducción e Interpretación  |  Biên Dịch và Thông Dịch  |  अनुवादन तथा व्याख्या
口笔译服务  |  Устный и письменный перевод  |  Turjumaad iyo Fasiraad
Письмовий і усний переклад  |  Traducere și interpretariat  |   Chiaku me Awewen Kapas
Translation and Interpretation:  503-823-4000 (311), Relay: 711

This email was sent from an unmonitored inbox. Please do not reply. Instead, contact us at waterprojects@portlandoregon.gov.