A group of concerned Ventnor citizens is raising funds to restore the fountain at the Water Works building on Winchester Avenue.
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
VENTNOR – A small group of residents interested in restoring one of the city’s greatest treasures has announced it can “officially” start raising funds needed for a major restoration project in the St. Leonard’s Tract area of the city.
“Ventnor Fountain Friends” announced today it rhas received notification that the Internal Revenue Service has approved the group’s status as a 501c(3) organization, which allows contributors to deduct contributions on their federal tax filings. The group is also tax exempt and is not required to pay sales tax on purchases it makes.
The city approved a resolution earlier this year to work with the non-profit to restore the oversized fountain at the Water Works Building located at Winchester and Cornwall avenues, which was built by Joseph L. Sweigard & Co. of Philadelphia in 1923. It has been in disrepair for many years, but locals want to see it again become a scenic centerpiece where brides, babies and prom-goers can take photographs for lasting memories of their time in Ventnor.
The concrete fountain, which has been exposed to the harsh salt air for many years without protection is in “really bad shape” and may need to be reconstructed instead of restored, officials said. It will also need a new mechanical system and lighting to make it a suitable gathering place for the community.
An attorney helped the organization file all the paperwork necessary to receive non-profit status.
“We used an attorney to expedite the process because we understand there is a backlog at the IRS,” President Dawn Burke Sena said Friday morning. “Now we have to meet with Mayor Lance Landgraf to discuss our next steps now that we are official.”
Other members of the group include Vice-president Tina Ercole LoBiondo, Secretary Dave Rumsey and Treasurer Barbara Sullivan.
Their goal is to create a new focal point in the bayfront neighborhood that will instill pride in the community. The Water Works Building, which resembles the Water Works building near the Philadelphia Art Museum in the Parkway section, is visible from the Dorset Avenue bridge.
A watercolor painting of the fountain as it exists now was painted by Ventnor artist Steve Kuzma and is on display at library in the Ventnor Cultural Arts Center on Atlantic Avenue. The artist will document the improvement in a new painting when the project is completed, she said.
Sena said the group is currently developing biographies of its members to familiarize the community with who they are. They will share that information on the VentnorFountainFriends.org website and on social media, “so everyone knows who we are,” she said.
The group’s first public appearance will be under a tent at the Ventnor Block Party event scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 6 on Ventnor Avenue. The group also plans to be in attendance at the Ventnor City Farmers Market and the Sunset at Ski Beach concerts, Sena said.
Although they still haven’t announced their first major fundraising event, they are looking to “break ground” in 2023 because it is the Water Works and fountain’s 100 anniversary year.
The group is now able to accept contributions through its members and will soon be able to accept online donations, she said. The website is being updated to accept contributions.
“We’re all about making the fountain restoration an impressive centerpiece that is part of the fabric of the community,” Sena said.
Learn more at ventnorfountainfriends.org or email Dawn Sena at vintage60d@msn.com.
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