Organizers launch final fundraising push for Gardiner fountain
About $150,000 has been raised so far to fund repairs to the historic fountain, erected as a monument to Gardiner native Gideon S. Palmer, a volunteer regimental surgeon in the Civil War.
BY JESSICA LOWELL – KENNEBEC JOURNAL
GARDINER — As fundraising to restore the historic fountain at Gardiner Common nears its end, organizers are hoping people will be willing to give a little more.
The goal is to have enough money to replace the fountain’s pump, sump, wiring and concrete basin, which have existed for decades longer than “The Lady and the Birds,” the statue that was installed at the fountain’s center in 1977.
“Frankly, if you ask people to estimate a fountain repair, they go, ‘What?’” said Robert Abbey, who has been leading efforts to bring the fountain back to regular use.
The estimate for completing the work has been a moving target in the months since fundraising began in earnest, and the total cost is not likely to be known until the bidding process expected in early 2023 is complete.