The Farnham Martin Fountain

The Farnham Park Fountain is the focal point of the Farnham Martin Park that adjoins the Malaga Cove Library. If you raised your children in the area, you may have found yourself exploring the park and fountain after a visit to the library, or perhaps enjoyed a moment of reflection or even a picnic at this scenic spot. But did you ever wonder about how it came to be or why it is named after Farnham Martin?
The park was one of the ongoing efforts of The Palos Verdes Project as it strived to build a new community on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. It was built in 1928, and pre-dates the construction of the Malaga Cove Library. It is the only landscaped park in the city of Palos Verdes Estates and the fountain is the oldest in the city. The nationally-revered Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm were hired by the Palos Verdes Project to design and build the park and to create the landscape design and its unique water feature. Important aspects of the park include the use of local Palos Verdes stone for the fountain and stairs, along with the use of plants ideally suited to the local climate and grown in a Palos Verdes on-site nursery. The park has many of the characteristics typical of Olmsted parks.

The park’s namesake, Farnham Martin, had worked for the Olmsted firm since 1908 and served as the first superintendent of parks in the Palos Verdes Homes Association. Martin oversaw planting and landscaping throughout the city and managed the on-site nursery, as well as parks and playgrounds for the city. He also lived in the community and was known for organizing recreation opportunities and parties for the residents. Tragically, he was killed in a traffic accident in Torrance in December of 1928, and it was decided that the park would be dedicated to the Farnham Battles Martin Memorial Park in honor of his many contributions to the Palos Verdes community. The park was dedicated in January of 1929 in what must have been a bittersweet ceremony.
The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, joining the neighboring Malaga Cove Library and Art Gallery. For nearly a century, residents and visitors enjoyed this hidden gem, but visitors over the past decade were not able to fully enjoy the fountain as it had fallen into disrepair. However, it is not the end of the fountain’s life quite yet. Read on to see how the PVE Foundation is about to end the long dry spell.

After existing for more than 10 years in disrepair, The Farnham Martin Park Fountain next to the Malaga Cove Library has been restored. The Palos Verdes Estates Foundation, an independent, non-profit organization that has been established to make lasting community impact across generations, chose this project as part of their ongoing effort of “honoring our history, securing our future.”
Karen Logan of the PVE Foundation leadership team recently indicated that the foundation looks for projects that incorporate beautification, historical restoration, and safety. The fountain had not been working for some time and the repair work will fix cracks, bring it up to code, correct electrical issues and restore the stones to their original look.
A fundraising drive was started in October of 2021 and donations came from both inside and outside of the city, from current and former residents. Some donations arrived with a personal note explaining what the fountain meant to them and expressing how they wanted it to continue to be enjoyed by future generations. In addition to restoration, the funds raised will also help to maintain the fountain to ensure longevity of the beautiful and historical water feature.
The timing of the fountain restoration is exciting as there is currently a heightened recognition of the Olmsted Brothers’, the architects of the fountain and park, projects and their legacy happening across the country. In addition, Palos Verdes Estates will soon celebrate its centennial and the fountain flowing again will add to the festivities.