Location: Dixfield, Oxford County, Maine, USA
There is little information regarding the 19th century drinking fountain/horse trough/lamp installed at the intersection of Main and Weld streets. Most images and postcards found online are identified with a year; however, a review of photographic evidence specifically changes to the National House Hotel seems to refute these dates.
A dedication ball was held at the National House on July 8, 1857 to mark the opening of the five-storied wood framed building. By 1900, the top floors had been removed. During this time period, the fountain is visible terminating with a gas lantern.
In the image below, a large crowd has gathered to witness a car race.
With the advent of the automobile, the horse trough became obsolete, and at some point after removal of the top floors of the hotel, the lamp atop the fountain was also removed.
An image of the 1922 Independence Day parade identifies that the central column once a lamppost has been transformed into a directional sign.
The drinking fountain/horse trough is identified as design #3 for man and beast in Henry F. Jenks’ foundry catalog. The 24 feet high structure manufactured in cast iron consisted of a solid base with an annular channel for use as a dog trough.
The 4ft high pedestal with attic base hosted arched panels for dedication or bas-relief enrichment. A movable panel in one side offered access to plumbing.
A circular horse trough, 56 inches in diameter (at 4 feet 3 inches above ground level it was a comfortable height for horses to drink with ease) had the capacity to hold a barrel of water (42 gallons). The centre of the basin contained a jamb from which dolphin mascarons spouted water and drinking cups were attached. Waste water was directed to the dog trough at street level. This design prevented contagious distemper.
The fountain was provided with self closing faucets and the pipes within were constructed to resist freezing in cold temperatures. Fountains were supplied both with and without an ice box attachment as desired. An ice box was placed near the sidewalk underground, which was provided with coils of tin lined pipe on which ice was placed to cool the water flowing through the coils to the outlet of the fountain.
The structure was offered with a studded band terminating in an orb finial or a fluted lamp pillar with a gas lantern extension.
Glossary:
- Annular; circular, ring shaped
- Attic base, a column base with two rings
- Bas-relief, sculpted material that has been raised from the background to create a slight projection from the surface
- Finial, a sculptured ornament fixed to the top of a peak, arch, gable or similar structure
- Fluted Shaft, a long rounded groove decorating the shaft of a column
- Jamb, a projecting vertical post containing sculpture
- Mascaron, a decorative element in the form of a sculpted face or head of a human being or an animal
- Pedestal, an architectural support for a column or statue
Memorial Drinking Fountains 