Harold D. Rice Fountain

Named after the City of Fountains Foundation founder Harold Rice, this fountain was installed in 1989 and named in honor of his contributions. The four-tiered pedestal fountain features scalloped basins that cascade into a round pool, which is centered in a larger, square pool. Located in the grassy median of the historic Paseo Boulevard, the fountain is surrounded by a red brick patio in a sunken courtyard and at one time contained seating benches. With planning efforts dating back more than a century, Kansas City has amassed more fountains than any other city besides Rome and is rightfully designated as the City of Fountains.

Kansas City is said to have more fountains than any other city in the world besides Rome. The idea first started in the 1890s when August Meyer and William Rockhill Nelson of the Parks Board hired landscape architect George Kessler to plan the Parks and Boulevards System. He designed major thoroughfares around the natural, rugged topography and intertwined them with landscaped green space, while connecting residential areas of the city. Inspired by city planning in Europe, Kessler was also a proponent of the City Beautiful Movement and transformed what was a congested town built on industry into “a city within a park,” featuring art, statuary, and fountains. Modeled after Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City, The Paseo was one of the first boulevards completed in the movement and the location of the first two public fountains built in Kansas City. Now known as the City of Fountains, Kansas City boasts more than 200 hundred fountains citywide. 

The City of Fountains Foundation was created in 1973 after Hallmark executive Harold Rice and his wife, Peggy, returned home from a visit to Rome. While there, they had a vision to enhance and give back to the Kansas City community. They established the Foundation to raise funds to preserve the existing fountains and construct new ones. The following year, the City Council endorsed the foundation and COFF held a metro-wide fundraising campaign. Their initiative was to build and restore one fountain every year, as well as establish a perpetual trust for ongoing maintenance. Today, the Board of Directors for COFF works in partnership with KC Parks and Recreation to operate and maintain the 48 publicly-owned fountains. 

Harold Dewees Rice (1922-2014) was a Kansas City native and had a passion for wildlife painting. He graduated from Paseo High School in 1939 and later Kansas City Junior College, before getting hired at Hallmark as a lithograph retouching artist in 1941. Rice worked his way up the corporate ladder over the years, first proving himself in an assignment close to his heart. After four others’ were rejected, Harold completed a set of mini waterfowl paintings to be used for the cover of a card by Lynn Bogue Hunt, a popular wildlife illustrator in the mid-20th century. From there, Rice was promoted to lithography supervisor then department head. As an advocate for innovation and breakthrough techniques in graphic arts and production, he then led a new department called Creative Mechanics, became the director of advanced technical research, the director of manufacturing, and later the chairman of the Crown Center Redevelopment Corporation. In 1985, he retired as a group Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors. 

The dedication plaque states: 

“In honor of Harold D. Rice – Founder of the City of Fountains Foundation, in recognition of his continuing support and contributions to the parks and fountains of Kansas City Missouri – 1991”

Harold D. Rice Memorial Fountain, City of Fountains. Accessed August 17th, 2022. https://cityoffountains.org/harold-d-rice-memorial-fountain/.

City of Fountains Foundation, KC Parks and Recreation. Accessed August 17th, 2022. https://kcparks.org/about-fountains/city-of-fountains-foundation/.

About: Board of Directors, City of Fountains. Accessed August 17th, 2022. https://cityoffountains.org/board/.

How many fountains are in Kansas City?, Kansas City Public Library. Accessed August 17th, 2022. https://kchistory.org/faq/how-many-fountains-are-kansas-city.

Regan, Patrick. Hallmark: A Century of Caring. Edition Illustrated. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009.

Hogan, Suzanne. The History Behind the Paseo, One of Kansas City's First Boulevards, KCUR. May 23rd, 2017. Accessed August 17th, 2022. https://www.kcur.org/community/2017-05-23/the-history-behind-the-paseo-one-of-kansas-citys-first-boulevards.

History of KC Parks, KC Parks and Recreation. Accessed August 17th, 2022. https://kcparks.org/history-of-kc-parks/.