FDR Memorial Foundation Receives Grant Funding for Fountain Survey Project
Washington, DC. May 26, 2026: The FDR Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, and promoting the FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C., has received $5,000 in grant funding from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to support a survey project of the fountain in Room Two of the Memorial. The project will be supported by matching funds from the Gordon and Llura Gund Foundation, along with additional funding from the Foundation.
The cascading water feature is designed to run the full length of the fountain; however, it currently flows only along a portion of it. This study will help identify the underlying causes and inform potential strategies for remediation.
Room Two represents the second term of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency (1937–1941), a period during which the United States continued to grapple with the Great Depression. The space includes a waterfall inspired by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
“We extend our sincere thanks to the National Trust for Historic Preservation for supporting this study,” said Mary E. Dolan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the FDR Memorial Foundation. “We are also grateful to the Gordon and Llura Gund Foundation for their matching funds, which will further advance this important work.”
“Our goal is to provide the survey and monitoring data needed to guide maintenance and repair plans for this fountain, which is critical to the Memorial’s design and impact,” Dolan added. “While this is a relatively small project, it reflects a larger effort by the Foundation to support the National Park Service in addressing the significant costs of maintaining the 7.5-acre FDR Memorial. We are committed to supporting the National Park Service’s stewardship of the Memorial, now nearly 30 years old.”
The project will be conducted in coordination with the National Park Service, and findings will be shared.
This effort exemplifies the public-private cooperation that has been central to the creation and ongoing care of the FDR Memorial. The FDR Memorial Foundation’s mission is to protect, preserve, and promote this important national site.
For more information, please visit https://fdrmemorial.org/.
Room 2 Fountain 2009, photo by Charles Birnbaum.
Room 2 Fountain 2025, photo by Steven Koch.
