text: Mecom Fountain Restoration
  Mecom Fountain is being restored to its former glory after fundraising drive brings in more than $100,000
  Organizers of a campaign to return the Mecom Fountain to its original glory are all smiles after raising more than $100,000 from 340 donors.
  Work has begun on restoration of the fountain in accordance with the original plans by acclaimed designer Eugene Werlin, using authentic mid-century materials.
  Friends of the Fountain, the non-profit group led by preservationist Phoebe Tudor and real estate magnate Bill Baldwin who spearheaded the fundraising drive, has recovered the original 1964 "Mecom Fountain" lettering, which will be incorporated into the project.
  Once work is completed, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held with all donors invited. The group raised a total of $104,690 for the restoration project, which is a public private partnership with the Houston Parks & Recreation Department, Houston Parks Board, the Mayor's Office, and the Planning Department. No public tax dollars will be spent on the project, organizers say.
  The fountain, which was given to the city by oil magnate John W. Mecom and his wife, Mary, in 1964, is a popular spot for photography and has become one of the city's key landmarks.