Martinsville City of Mineral Water Sign Fund – 1184

Fund Type: Passthrough Fund

 

Fund Description:

Purpose: To provide support for the preservation and maintenance of the Martinsville City of Mineral Water Sign

History: Martinsville, the “City of Mineral Water.” The neon sign was erected in the 1930s to promote mineral water and its role in the economy of Martinsville. During the first half of the 20th century, there were over eleven sanitariums in Martinsville. The sanitariums were developed starting in 1889 when men drilling for natural gas tapped artesian well water. The water was thought to have healing power. Martinsville grew with the influx of people seeking relief at the sanitariums. However, the invention of antibiotics dampened the appeal of sanitariums and the Great Depression hurt the businesses. The last sanitarium in Martinsville closed in the 1970s.