Skidmore Fountain was dedicated on September 22, 1888. It honors Stephen G. Skidmore, a wealthy Portland druggist who died in 1883. His will helped pay for it. Sculptor Olin Levi Warner designed it for $18,000, all of which was donated.
It was styled after fountains Skidmore saw at Versailles during his visit to the 1878 Paris Exposition, and it was meant for horses, men and dogs to drink from. At the dedication, Henry Weinhard offered to pump beer into it.
It is Portland's oldest piece of public art, and it gives its name to the Skidmore/Old Town Historic District. It was restored in 2005.