The American Legion Memorial Drinking Fountain, a landmark at the corner of Van Brunt Boulevard and Budd Park Esplanade, has been restored to its 1921 appearance.
Kansas City Parks & Recreation confirmed that the commemorative plaques, stolen earlier this spring, were reinstalled on October 15. The return of the bronze-look markers secures the site’s status as a functional tribute to fallen World War I veterans.
The memories of these fallen veterans will continue to be honored at the fountain, which serves as a longstanding tribute located in the historic Northeast. Community members first reported the plaques missing in April.
The path to restoration began with a 311 service request from the local community. Once the theft was reported, the city’s challenge shifted to replacing the intricate reliefs of soldiers and sailors that adorn the 6-foot-tall rectangular shaft.
To ensure historical fidelity, department staff turned to the Parks Archives Division, utilizing original reference materials to guide the reproduction process. This documentation was essential for vetting contractors capable of replicating the fountain’s specific artistic detail. The fountain features two distinct plaques, with one side illustrating soldiers and the other side depicting sailors.
The city commissioned local sculptor and veteran Ken Wheatley to handle the reconstruction. Wheatley employed a cold-cast technique, a method chosen to achieve a near-exact visual match to the original bronze while utilizing materials better suited to the environmental stresses of an outdoor public space. This durable material was selected to ensure the memorial stands for generations.
In an area of the historic Northeast that has undergone a century of development, the fountain remains a grounding point for local memory.
With the new plaques now set in place, the fountain returns to its role as a tangible link to the aftermath of the First World War. For the city, the restoration ensures that the quiet intersection of Van Brunt Boulevard and Budd Park Esplanade continues to serve its original purpose, standing today as it did over one hundred years ago.
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