The Welsh Fountain is a historic landmark of West Fairmount Park, originally built to honor the chairman of the board of finance of the United States 1876 Centennial Exhibit, John Welsh. Fairmount Park Conservancy, in partnership with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, has taken upon rehabilitating the fountain and its landscape while improving safety, comfort, and accessibility for park users.
For further information about this project, check out our storymap.
Join us for our next community engagement event at the West Park Arts Fest on Saturday, June 8th.
Stop by during the event to:
- Learn more about the project
- Share feedback on design ideas
- Enjoy the new pop-up play space built in partnership with Tiny WPA
Can’t make it? We invite you to fill out our survey to share your input with us.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Since the Fountain’s original construction and up until at least the late 1970s, this site was used by community members as a place to gather with friends, play music, or simply sit and enjoy the water. Building off of the recent pedestrian improvement projects at Parkside Edge and Parkside Gap and the Harvest Fest celebration in Fall 2022, Fairmount Park Conservancy will continue to improve park amenities and welcome residents of all ages into West Fairmount Park.
Since Summer 2023, the Conservancy has been having conversations with stakeholders and nearby community members through a series of pop up events to learn how they would use this space if it was improved. Simultaneously, the design team has been investigating existing conditions while compiling relevant historical information on the Fountain and its surrounding landscape.
PROJECT UPDATES
On Tuesday, April 30th, we hosted our third community engagement at the Center for Parks at Ohio House where people learned more about the project, shared feedback on design ideas, engaged in interactive activities, and enjoyed light snacks.
On Saturday September 9th, we hosted our second community engagement event at the Welsh Fountain. Participants heard ideas from the design team, shared their feedback, enjoyed free water ice, and helped Tiny WPA build their temporary installation.
On Thursday July 13th, we hosted our first engagement event Reimagining the Welsh Fountain. Community members learned about the project, shared ideas, prototyped designs with Tiny WPA and enjoyed free pretzels and water ice.
Want to receive quarterly updates on park news and events in West Park?