County Mayor Weston Wamp looks out of his office window every day at the vintage Fireman's Fountain and noticed it was in dire need of sprucing up.
He arranged to have the city transfer the property to the county, and funds were placed in the budget earlier for the makeover.
County Mayor Wamp said, "The goal is to restore it to its original glory. It's going to be beautiful."
City officials noted, "We've gotten a few questions about a public notice sign that was put up near the Fireman's Fountain.
"Here's an update: The public notice sign is there because the City of Chattanooga is donating the property that the fountain sits on to Hamilton County. This does not mark a significant change, as the county is already maintaining the fountain. The fountain is also in need of some substantial repairs.
"So in the near future, it will be temporarily removed so that it can be repaired and then put back in place to be enjoyed for years to come.
"We are grateful to the county for funding the $175,000 refurbishment.
"The memorial fountain in Fountain Square on Georgia Avenue was erected in honor of William Peak and Henry Iler who perished in the Bee Hive Store fire of June 9, 1887."
Afterward, there was a fund drive to erect a memorial to the two fire victims as well as honor other firefighters.