Temperance Fountain

Location: Skaneateles, NYS

At the end of the 19^th century, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union of Skaneateles donated a public drinking fountain to the village in order to supply fresh water to both horses and men. Mrs. Frances Julia Barnes, a Temperance Reformer and the General Secretary of the Young Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, dedicated the fountain in August 1895. Raising a cup she offered a toast, “To the health of our village in the best of all drinks, cold water.”

Source: https://kihm6.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/ice-water/

Located at the intersection of Jordan Street and Genesee Street it became an obstacle to the introduction of trolley cars and was removed in 1901.

Source: https://kihm6.wordpress.com/2013/06/

The manufacturer of the drinking fountain/horse trough is unverified as designs by M.D. Jones of Boston, Massachusetts and J.L. Mott of New York are very similar.

Seated on a square block the base with fluted pedestal supported a wide basin decorated with foliate frieze and a fluted cornice. A decorative pillar in the centre of the basin delivered water via the mouths of lion mascarons which was retrieved using a metal cup suspended on a chain. A covered water filler protected a float valve which maintained the water level in the basin.

At the extension of the pillar a candelabra console offered two lamp fixtures with a central capped urn finial.

Glossary:

• Console, a decorative bracket support element
• Cornice, a molding or ornamentation that projects from the top of a building
• Finial, a sculptured ornament fixed to the top of a peak, arch, gable or similar structure
• Fluted, a long rounded groove decorating the shaft of a column
• Frieze, the horizontal part of a classical moulding just below the cornice, often decorated with carvings
• 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

Center Street Fountain

Location: Rutland, Vermont, U.S.A.

I have been unable to discover any historic information regarding this drinking fountain which was situated at Center Street in Rutland. However, it is worth posting the historic images of this location. Images show it in situ in 1904 and no longer present by 1911.

The manufacturer is unknown although several of the features are reminiscent of designs by J. L. Mott Iron Works of New York.

1904

1906

Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company collection.

The structure consisted of a single pedestal with canted corners and a small basin at ground level for dogs. The square base with four inset panels supported a central column with rectangular panels for decoration or dedication. A fluted demi-lune basin with lion mascaron from which water spouted was located at one side for the use of humans. It is unclear whether a second basin or a horse trough was located on the opposite side.

The cornice beneath the capital was decorated with a frieze of acanthus supporting a triple stepped tier surmounted by an orb finial.

Glossary:

• Acanthus, one of the most common plant forms (deeply cut leaves) to make foliage ornament and decoration
• Canted corner, an angled surface which cuts of a corner Demilune, half-moon or crescent shape
• Cornice, a molding or ornamentation that projects from the top of a building
• Finial, a sculptured ornament fixed to the top of a peak, arch, gable or similar structure
• Fluted, a long, rounded groove decorating the shaft of a column
• Frieze, the horizontal part of a classical molding just below the cornice, often decorated with carvings
• Mask/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

Mulberry Bend Drinking Fountain

Location: Lower Manhattan, New York, USA

In the late 19^th century, a region of Manhattan where five streets intersected was known as Five Points. This incorporated Mulberry Bend, an expanse of slums and alleys where poverty, disease and crime was rife. It was ranked as one of the most densely populated urban areas in the world. Persistent documentation of the deplorable conditions over many years by Danish photojournalist Jacob Riis succeeded in the eventual removal of the slums. From the New York Times May 1, 1949,…after some twenty-seven years of grinding effort, Riis was directly or indirectly responsible for cleaning up that civic boil and other centers of human degradation.

Calvert Vaux, a co-designer of Central Park, was hired by the city to design a green space known as Mulberry Bend Park. Also known as Five Points Park it opened in 1897 and incorporated several drinking fountains. In 1911 it was renamed Columbus Park inspired by the Italian population. The surrounding area is now known as Chinatown.

Design details are similar to E.T. Barnum Company of Detroit who sourced their products from J.W. Fiske & Company. There are also similarities to drinking fountains offered by J.L. Mott Iron Works Company; however, the manufacturer is unknown.

The structure was a highly decorated circular pillar with decorative relief. A lion mascaron spouted water into a small basin for use by humans, and a tin cup was originally affixed with a chain. The structure terminated in a finial resembling an acorn or it may have been a pineapple which was a symbol of hospitality.

Circa 1905

Circa 1899

Glossary:

• Finial, a sculptured ornament fixed to the top of a peak, arch, gable or similar structure
• Mask/Mascaron, a decorative element in the form of a sculpted face or head of a human being or an animal
• Relief, a sculptural technique to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background

Temperance Fountain

Location: Aberdeen, WA, USA

The ladies of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, a driving force in the fight to create an alcohol free society, purchased a large drinking fountain to be donated to the city. It was funded by public subscription and the dedication was attended by a large gathering of citizens on 6 February 1910. Rev. B. P. Brooks invoked the aid of Deity in perpetrating the work of the W.C.T.U. and Councilman for Fifth Ward, C. C. Quackenbush, accepted the gift on behalf of the city council. “The fountain is a fine imitation of bronze and is substantial and artistic in appearance, and will always be an ornament to the city.” Aberdeen Herald, Feb. 7, 1910.

Installed in front of the George J. Wolff department store at the corner of Heron and H Streets it was later relocated to Sam Benn Park at the corner entrance on I Street. The urn finial now rests in the Aberdeen Museum.

The manufacturer of the fountain is unknown although it bears a resemblance to designs by J. L. Mott Iron Works of New York. Seated on a square base the fountain was a multi-level structure. Hosting a small demi-lune basin at ground level water was supplied from the mouth of a lion mascaron for the use of dogs.

A frieze of egg and dart moulding delineated the transition to an angled pier containing a panel on all four sides with bas-relief sculpture of a lion surrounded by flourish. A second frieze offered two demi-lune basins for human use. A spigot supplied water captured using a tin cup suspended on a chain.

A square plinth displaying a bas-relief engraving, W.C.T.U., supported a short pedestal with four inset panels bound by pilasters on each corner. A frieze of flora decorated the capital which supported an elaborately decorated urn capped with a pineapple finial (symbolic of friendship and hospitality).

Glossary

• Bas-relief, sculpted material that has been raised from the background to create a slight projection from the surface
• Capital, the top of a column that supports the load bearing down on it
• Demi-lune, half moon or crescent shape
• Egg and dart, a carving of alternating oval shapes and  dart or arrow shapes
• Finial, a sculptured ornament fixed to the top of a peak, arch, gable or similar structure
• Flourish, curlicue embellishment
• Frieze, the horizontal part of a classical moulding just below the cornice, often decorated with carvings
• 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
• Pier, a structural support
• Pilaster, a column form that is only ornamental and not supporting a structure
• Plinth, flat base usually projecting, upon which a pedestal, wall or column rests.
• Spigot, a device that controls the flow of liquid