A historic fountain in Stonehouse is to be restored next year – in time for the centenary celebrations of the area’s popular public park.
The Alexander Hamilton memorial fountain will undergo a comprehensive restoration programme after a grant of nearly £50,000 was awarded to the park’s volunteer friends group from the renewable energy fund (REF) distributed by South Lanarkshire Council.
It will see the historic structure being repaired and cleaned, with a new plaque installed and its railings being renewed and painted to match the nearby bandstand, as well as the rebuilding of an existing brick wall and path maintenance and repairs.
News of the £49,840 grant was warmly welcomed by the Stonehouse volunteers, along with local residents and supporters of the community group responding on social media.
Friends of Stonehouse Park committee member and local historian John Young said: “This funding will allow us to retain a historic landmark which recognises the opening of the park, and enable us to bring the community together next year in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the park being opened.
“We’re delighted to have been successful in our application to raise the necessary funding – the investment will further improve our efforts to restore facilities in the park and increase our events and activities for all residents using it.”
Renovation work is now due to start in March and be complete by May, in time for the 100th anniversary of the park being gifted to the people of Stonehouse by businessman and former local resident Alexander Hamilton on May 30, 1925, with the new facility being named in honour of his namesake grandfather.
The total cost of the project is £52,840, with the majority coming from contributions paid into South Lanarkshire’s REF by Auchrobert windfarm.
Members of the local authority’s community and enterprise resources committee were told that the fountain “has fallen into disrepair”, with a report adding: “Erected for the opening of the park, [it] is one of only two original historical structures [there].
“Friends of Stonehouse Park is a charity [and] this project been established from their community action plan, to enhance the infrastructure within the park to encourage heritage and recreation.
“The grant will allow members to refurbish the fountain [and] work with council officers to ensure the project can be completed in time to mark the centenary of Stonehouse public park opening in 1925; restoration of the fountain will restore and maintain an existing feature contributing to sustainability of assets within communities.”
Committee chair Councillor Robert Brown added: “I’m delighted that the REF can support restoring the Alexander Hamilton memorial fountain to its former glory – it will enhance the experience of anyone visiting the park and provide a real focal point ahead of the centenary celebrations.”
The fountain project is the second major restoration led by the park friends group, after their success last year in reopening the formerly-derelict bandstand after years of hard work and fundraising the £230,000 needed for the project.
John and group secretary Karen Kelly first began work around 2010 to see if the B-listed structure could be restored after several decades of disrepair and it lying in a dangerous condition, and succeeded in having the park focal point dismantled and reconstructed with an improved support structure and restored roof and metalwork following a painstaking refurbishment process.
It officially reopened to visitors 18 months ago with a celebration day of musical performances, and is now a centrepiece of the volunteers’ regular community events including their Halloween fright night and last weekend’s festive elf event.
John told Lanarkshire Live last year: “The bandstand restoration showed what we can do as a community if we put our minds to it – there was such strong support and then the feeling was, ‘what more can we do?’
“The bandstand was a massive community effort, it looks incredible and it’s great to see it being used again.”
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