ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – On-site work is underway to replace Winthrop University’s iconic fountain visible from Oakland Avenue.
Southern Builders of York County Inc., the firm which won the project bid, began erecting a construction fence on June 8 around the beloved campus landmark in front of Tillman Hall.
According to the tentative work schedule, during the week of June 12, workers will begin fountain and flagpole demolition. The ground will be excavated in late June to prepare for pouring a new foundation slab in July. The new fountain will be assembled in late August as various parts arrive on campus, followed by paver installment in September. Finally, a new flagpole is expected to be erected in November, with the entire project expected to be completed in December.
Winthrop President Edward Serna expressed excitement for the progress he is seeing right outside his office window.
“The run-up to this project has been a labor of love on the part of so many campus stakeholders who have enthusiastically supported not only getting the water flowing again, but truly making this a distinctive feature with fantastic possibilities for the future,” he said. “I have a catbird seat to the work and can’t wait to see it starting.”
The project was put into motion when the current fountain stopped working in 2018. A 2020 study, funded by an anonymous Winthrop donor, determined that a new fountain design of similar size would be ideal. The area around the fountain also will be enhanced with brick and concrete paved surfaces and seating, and accessibility at the site also will be improved.
To date, more than $480,000 has been raised toward a $500,000 project goal, according to Lori Tuttle, executive director of alumni relations and reunion giving. “More than 300 alumni have donated so far.
Classes celebrating their 50-year Winthrop reunions have led the charge on fundraising. The Classes of 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974 are all actively fundraising for the Fountain Restoration Project. Alumni outside of these classes and community members have also supported the fundraising effort,” she said. “Thank you to all the donors who have generously supported the Fountain Restoration Project! We are very excited to see work beginning, and we know that our alumni, visitors and community members will enjoy this new space for years to come.”
Other significant gifts have been donated by community groups such as the Herbert and Anna Lutz Foundation in Chester County. That organization awarded Winthrop a $25,000 grant in 2021.
The current fountain was constructed between 1918-19 and is the second one at this location, according to the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections. It has been the backdrop for several important Winthrop traditions over the years, including the Daisy Chain and the still popular Annual Tree Lighting.
Learn more, or make a gift, at the Fountain Restoration Project website.
For more information, contact Tuttle at tuttlel@winthrop.edu.
