Historic Fountain Restored At Lake Hopatcong, 99 Years After Opening

ROXBURY TOWNSHIP, NJ — After two decades sitting dormant, a historic fountain is bubbling once again along Lake Hopatcong for park visitors to enjoy.

The Hopatcong State Park Fountain was a popular spot for both tourists and locals to cool off during summer trips to the beach, before it shut down in the 1990s due to clogging issues.

The effort to restore this fountain, which is located in Roxbury Township, took about 10 years — and Morris County officials worked with the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum and Lake Hopatcong Foundation to complete the work.

The lake, which is the largest in New Jersey, was created by the Morris Canal — and the fountain opened the year after the canal had closed.

"For years prior, hotel operators, business owners and summer residents of Lake Hopatcong battled with mill owners and others downstream along the Musconetcong River, over how much water flowed from Lake Hopatcong," officials said.

Marty Kane, President of the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum, said the fountain was "the result of a compromise reached between lake residents and the Musconetcong River advocates" in a 2021 article on the fountain.

Residents joined Morris County and the Lake Hopatcong organizations to re-activate the fountain on July 16, which was exactly 99 years after it first opened. Several state and local officials were present too, including Senator Anthony Bucco, Assemblywoman Aura Dunn, and John Cecil, who Assistant Commissioner of State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).

Public officials "and many guests" took turns cranking a valve at the headwaters to get the water flowing, which took 15 to 20 minutes and a total of 76 rotations. Planning included exterior restoration, repair of the plumbing system, and addressing the hydrology and filtration of water from Lake Hopatcong to the fountain.

"The nearly 100-year-old hydraulic system behind the foundation was restored and improved through a project undertaken by engineering students from Stevens Institute of Technology," Morris County officials said.

Close to $287,000 in Historic Preservation Trust Fund grants supported restoration of the fountain, officials added.

Commissioner Deputy Director Stephen Shaw said the restored fountain " revitalizes our community spirit, provides much-needed aeration for the Musconetcong River, and returns a beloved asset to the community to enjoy for another 99 years."

Read more about the fountain restoration here.