PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A historic fountain in Fairmount Park that hasn't functioned in about 50 years is getting $2.3 million in state funding to be fully restored.
The John Welsh Memorial Fountain, across from the Please Touch Museum in West Fairmount Park, was built after the 1876 Centennial Exposition. Water hasn't flowed from it in decades. Now, with the funding from the commonwealth's Department of Community and Economic Development Multimodal Transportation Fund, improvements will be made to the fountain and surrounding landscaping.
Tony Sorrentino, CEO of Fairmount Park Conservancy, said construction is set to begin later this year.
"It's going to be kicking off later this year in 2026 in terms of the construction, and we hope to have it opened and functioning about a year from now,” he said.
The fountain is part of a broader multi-phase revitalization of the Centennial District that has been underway for several years. Pedestrian safety improvements have already been made along Parkside Avenue, including traffic circles, crosswalks, and signals.
Sorrentino said the park has already seen a transformation in how residents use the space.
"We created swing sets, we created places for people to sit and enjoy the park. People out there now see people at night playing cards and playing chess," he said.
He said more phases are still to come, and sees the area as Philadelphia's next cultural hub.
"You can see the investments being made by the Please Touch Museum, the Mann Center, the Zoo, all evidence that this is an area in Philadelphia that is emerging as the next cultural district," he said.
"There's kind of a magnetic power about fountains in cities. They draw people in," Sorrentino added.
