MOUNT VERNON — The fountain at Mount Vernon’s Public Square will soon be getting a new lease on life. Representatives from Robinson Iron of Alexander City, Ala., were in Mount Vernon on Wednesday to dismantle and prepare the city’s fountain for refurbishing.
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Mount Vernon Parks Department Superintendent Geoff Oliver said the fountain is being taken to Robinson Iron in Alexander City, Ala.
“They will take it apart, do any needed repairs, replace any parts if necessary, and basically do a total refurbishing of the fountain,” said Oliver.
With water continually running in the cast iron fountain, it slowly began to rust, according to Oliver, adding that they need to make sure it is structurally sound. “We’ve painted it twice, but the coating they will put on is much more durable than what we can do,” said Oliver.
Made in New York at the J.L. Mott Ironworks and brought to Mount Vernon in the 1870s, the fountain will be at Robinson Iron throughout the winter. Robinson bought all the records and material from Mott when they went out of business, according to Oliver. Robinson specializes in cast iron fountain restoration and architectural metalwork. Projects they have worked on include those at Grand Central Station in New York City, Raffles Hotel in Singapore, Navy Pier in Chicago and numerous state capitol buildings, among many others.
Modern Builders Inc. assisted with Wednesday’s project by providing a crane and an operator.