A NEWLY refurbished drinking fountain and seating area was officially unveiled in Dollar last week.

The refurbishment of the Victorian drinking fountain at the town’s Academy Place has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Clackmannanshire and Stirling Environment Trust, Dollar Community Council and Civic Trust and a private donation from a Dollar family, who opened the new fountain last Thursday (27 August).

The Dollar Burnside Action Group has been looking to return the fountain to working order by raising money and making applications for four years. It had fantastic support from the local community, but it was not until the Corney family approached the group to help with the restoration.

As the Advertiser reported earlier in January, Jonathan Corney’s late father, Don, often talked about restoring the fountain as he was involved in the previous refurbishment in the 1970s.

Officers from Clackmannanshire Council also helped with securing additional funding and by Christmas last year all the money was in place for the project, which was supported by many people and organisations from Dollar and beyond.

The lead piping of the fountain, which was switched off around 40 years ago, has been replaced and the water is flowing again. A bespoke lantern now shines high above and quality paving and benches have been installed.

Engraved with the Dollar Burgh seal, which the old burgh council used, the bench ends are natural stone – it was originally the old town council that erected the fountain in 1896 to commemorate the industrial and loan exhibition of 1890.

A number of important local figures have also been commemorated on metal plaques on the benches. These people include Ella Christie of Cowden as she organised the exhibition in 1890. John Ernest Kerr of Harviestoun is also remembered as he donated land to the town for recreation including the football field and the Mill Green.

Dollar’s First World War poet and natural historian William Kersley Holmes is the third person to be commemorated at the fountain.

The water from the fountain is not drinkable, as no one is going to test it and flush it regularly.