On 29 October 1878, Leicester Town Council gratefully accepted on behalf of the Borough the offer from Israel Hart, a former Mayor of Leicester, of "a handsome ornamental fountain to be placed in the centre of the land fronting the Town Hall Buildings". The fountain, together with the layout of Town Hall Square, was designed by Francis Hames, the architect of the Town Hall, and the fountain was unveiled by Sir Israel Hart on 24 September 1879. It is constructed of bronze-painted cast iron, Shap granite and Ross of Mull granite.
