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Absent from its plinth for six years, Portland’s Thompson Elk statue is slated to make its grand return to Downtown’s Plaza Blocks—atop a repaired and renovated fountain in April 2026. Header image by Carol M. Highsmith via Library of Congress.
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Absent from its plinth for six years, Portland's Thompson Elk statue is slated to make its grand return to Downtown's Plaza Blocks—atop a repaired and renovated fountain—on Sunday, April 12, 2026, from 1-4 p.m. The celebration of the elk's return will feature a dedication ceremony, musical performances, community booths, giveaways, food trucks, and more. This momentous occasion is the culmination of work that has stretched from City Hall to the Portland Building, from the Portland Water Bureau and the Bureau of Transportation to the Office of Arts & Culture and Portland Parks & Recreation, and from grassroots community organizers to nonprofit partners. Before Portlanders gather to mark the elk's long-anticipated return, let's reflect on the work that took place to get us here.
Built in 1900, the Thompson Elk Fountain was named for its benefactor David P. Thompson, Portland's mayor from 1879 to 1882. A founding member of the Oregon Humane Society, Thompson wanted to pay homage to the wildlife that once roamed the city. New York City's Roland Hinton Perry sculpted the elk statue, which stands at 9 feet tall and weighs 3,000 pounds. The granite base and fountain were designed and built by H.G. Wright. Over the years, the beloved elk became Portland's unofficial mascot, as well as a gathering place and hub of civics in the city.
"The Thompson Elk Fountain centers this section of Downtown Portland with welcoming public art," Councilor Dan Ryan. "When one comes to the area to testify at City Hall, serve on jury duty, or visit with a federal judge, the elk has always been there to remind you that you were in a special place."
In 2020, amid a racial justice reckoning that swept through the US, Downtown Portland became a focal point for protests. Fires set at the fountain's base damaged some of its historic stonework. Although the bronze elk statue itself wasn't damaged, upon inspection of the fountain, it was discovered that the statue was not properly secured to the stone base and was at risk of falling. The City of Portland removed the statue soon thereafter, and it was subsequently cleaned and safely stored by the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC). The fountain was turned off, and later disassembled and removed.
Then in March 2022, the City announced a partnership with the private nonprofit Portland Parks Foundation to commission a design and feasibility study for the restoration of the fountain and options for returning it to its original location. In May of that year, Commissioners Ryan (now Councilor Ryan) and Carmen Rubio brought forward Resolution 37576 that directed City bureaus to take necessary steps to restore and return the Thompson Elk Fountain to its original condition and location.
That resolution passed unanimously at Council and received broad support from Portlanders, one of whom said via email:
"Thank you for announcing, but most importantly pushing for, the full rebuilding of the Thompson Fountain. This is very important to the city and art needs to be preserved for all of us, past, present, and future."
In 2023, an emergency ordinance authorizing the City's Chief Procurement Officer to issue a competitive solicitation for the project on behalf of the Portland Water Bureau was approved by City Council. And as of July 2023, $2.2 million had been secured to fund the restoration—$1.5 million from the City's General Fund, approved by City Council in the 2023-24 fiscal year budget, and $700,000 from insurance.
Finally, in 2024, the City of Portland awarded a contract to Tualatin-based Cedar Mill Construction Company, which submitted the lowest bid at $1.8 million.
"After years of delays and setbacks, I'm proud to say we're finally moving forward—working directly with vendors to get the [elk's] restoration done. We are poised to return this iconic piece of Portland's history to its rightful place downtown," Councilor Ryan said at the time.
Since July 2025, when construction began, the City of Portland's Thompson Elk Fountain restoration project team, housed within the Water Bureau, has been working to:
- Restore, rehabilitate, and reinstall the fountain in its original location, including pouring layers of concrete to create a stable foundation for the statue's granite base
- Comply with the Secretary of the Interior's standards for Treatment of Historic Properties
- Source any stonework to be refabricated from the original quarry in Barre, Vermont
- Retrofit the fountain with a recirculating water system, which will save 18,000 gallons of water every day and an estimated $37,000 per year
- Paint and update lighting for the fountain from two adjacent poles
The long-awaited culmination of this work will be the secure reinstallation of the elk statue atop the rebuilt fountain—something Portlanders have been waiting to see for more than a half-decade. All community members are invited to celebrate the return of a historic and beloved symbol of our city brought to life through deep collaboration and a commitment to getting the details right.
"I'm proud to have played a part in the story of the Thompson Elk Fountain. I introduced the resolution to focus the City's bureaus on this important work, herding siloed cats to move toward action, but I was also a thread between the new and old forms of government—making sure this project didn't get lost in the transition," Councilor Ryan said.
"The elk's return is more than symbolic. It should be celebrated as part of the larger revival of Downtown Portland," he added.