Indiana library raising $150K to renovate historic fountain

AUBURN, Ind. (AP) - A northeastern Indiana library has kicked off a campaign to raise $150,000 to renovate its more than century-old fountain.

Officials at Eckhart Public Library in Auburn hope to have the fountain that's the centerpiece of a small park disassembled, shipped to a specialist in Alabama for renovation and reassembled by late July.

Library Director Janelle H. Graber tells The Evening Star (http://bit.ly/1Q0LAcl ) the fountain "is the heart of the park" for many Auburn residents and the goal is to preserve it "for generations to come."

The 1912 fountain's water supply was shut off last year after fractures and weak spots were discovered in the structure. The fountain is made primarily of cast iron, but boasts a cast zinc top piece.

Water was also found leaking into the fountain's pedestal.

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Information from: The (Auburn, Ind.) Star, http://www.dekalbstar.com