Drinking fountains in the United States

This is a list of drinking fountains in the United States. A drinking fountain, also called a water fountain or bubbler, is a fountain designed to provide drinking water. It consists of a basin with either continuously running water or a tap. The drinker bends down to the stream of water and swallows water directly from the stream.

History

Creation of public drinking fountains was supported by the Temperance Movement, which advocated abstinence from alcohol and saw providing free fresh water as furthering its cause. The Woman's Christian Temperance Union, founded in 1874, sponsored Temperance fountains in towns and cities across the United States.^[1] Henry D. Cogswell, a dentist who made a fortune in San Francisco real estate, sponsored (and designed) dozens of artistic fountains, some of which were adorned with a statue of himself.

A concurrent movement concerned with animal welfare resulted in the founding of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1866. One of its concerns was the difficulty of finding fresh water for work horses in urban areas. Combination drinking fountains that provided a bubbler for people and a water trough for horses, and sometimes a lower basin for dogs, became popular.

Privately-sponsored drinking fountains were often commissioned as works of art. Sculptors such as Karl Bitter, Gutzon Borglum and Daniel Chester French; and architects such as Frederick Law Olmsted and Henry Hobson Richardson collaborated on them. These were frequently created as memorials to individuals, serving an ongoing utilitarian purpose as well as an artistic one.

National Humane Alliance

The National Humane Alliance donated more than 120 National Humane Alliance Fountains to communities all across the United States between 1903 and 1913. The fountains were the gift of philanthropist Herman Lee Ensign. The fountains were placed at busy intersections in cities all across the United States. The fountains were quarried on Vinalhaven which is an island off the coast from Rockland, Maine. The three level fountains had a top piece that included spigots in the shape of lions heads for humans, a larger circular bowl for horses, and lower bowls for dogs and cats. Many of the fountains are still in existence and several have been restored to their original condition, but moved to new locations as the popularity of the automobile made their original purpose and location obsolete. Derby, CT has a website (http://electronicvalley.org/derby/quiz/pages/wateringtrough.htm) dedicated to the fountains that includes an interactive map of the United States with locations and pictures.

List of drinking fountains (organized by state)

Name	Location	Image	Sculptor	Other designer	Year	Medium	Usage	Notes
Lotta's Fountain Lotta Crabtree Fountain	California Market, Geary & Kearny Streets, San Francisco				1875	cast iron	For people	The fountain in 1905. Actress Lotta Crabtree donated the fountain. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Benjamin Franklin (Washington Square) Temperance Fountain Cogswell Historical Monument	California Washington Square, San Francisco		Unknown	Henry D. Cogswell	1879 relocated 1904	bronze base: granite	For people	Originally located at Market & Kearny Streets. Altered. No longer a fountain.
Nathaniel Wheeler Memorial Fountain	Connecticut Bridgeport		Gutzon Borglum		1913	Mermaid: bronze Basin & 3 horse troughs: granite	For people and horses	Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
National Humane Alliance Fountain	Connecticut Derby Greenway, Derby				1906 restored 2007		For people, horses and dogs	More than 120 National Humane Alliance Fountains were installed in communities across the United States between 1903 and 1913.
Pope Fountain[2] Albert A. Pope Memorial Fountain	Connecticut Pope Park, Hartford		Lee Lawrie	George W. Keller, architect	1913 relocated 1964		For people and horses	Includes a bronze portrait medallion of Albert A. Pope.
Dancing Bears Fountain[3] Children's Fountain	Connecticut Center Park, Manchester		Albert Humphreys	Pomponian Bronze Works, foundry	1909		For people
Carrie Welton Fountain[4] "Horse on The Green"	Connecticut The Green, Waterbury		Karl Gerhardt		1888	Horse: bronze Base: granite	For people and horses
Woman's Christian Temperance Union Fountain (Rehoboth Beach, Delaware)	Delaware Rehoboth Avenue & Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach				1929	granite	For people	Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
Temperance Fountain (Washington, D.C.) Cogswell Fountain	District of Columbia 7th Street & Indiana Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.		Unknown	Henry D. Cogswell	1882-84	Sculptures: bronze Base & canopy: granite	For people and horses	Water flowed from the dolphins' mouths. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
U. S. Capitol Grounds Drinking Fountain	District of Columbia United States Capitol Grounds, Washington, D.C.			Frederick Law Olmsted, architect	1874		For people
Horse Show Fountain (Wright-Bock Fountain)	Illinois Oak Park		Richard Bock	Frank Lloyd Wright, architect	1909 replica 1969	Poured concrete	For people, horses and dogs	The original fountain deteriorated and was used to create a replica. It was erected about 100 ft from the original's site.
Woman's Christian Temperance Union Fountain (Bloomington, Indiana)	Indiana Monroe County Courthouse, Bloomington				1913		For people
Murphy Memorial Drinking Fountain	Indiana Carroll County Courthouse, Delphi		Myra Reynolds Richards		1918	Sculpture: bronze Barre granite	For people	Richards posing with her sculpture.
Woman's Christian Temperance Union Fountain (Shenandoah, Iowa)[5]	Iowa Clarinda & Sheridan Streets, Shenandoah				1912	cast iron	For people, dogs and birds	Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Ellis Fountain	Kentucky Old Fayette County Courthouse, Lexington		William Ingram	Lexington Granite Company	1921	Sculptures: bronze granite	For people and dogs
Gumbel Memorial Fountain	Louisiana Audubon Park, New Orleans		Isidore Konti		1918		For people, horses and dogs	"The Meeting of Air and Water"
Lotta Fountain Lotta Crabtree Fountain	Massachusetts The Esplanade, Boston		Katharine Lane Weems	John W. Ames, architect Edwin Dodge, architect	1939		For people, cats and dogs	The fountain was a bequest from actress Lotta Crabtree.
Charles Taft Fountain[6]	Massachusetts Cleveland Circle, Brookline			Coolidge & Carleson, architects	1912		For people, horses and dogs
Kilbon Memorial Fountain[7]	Massachusetts Town Park, Lee		Daniel Chester French		1899		For people and horses	Water flows from the mouth of a mask of Konkapot, a Mohican chief.
Belcher Memorial Fountain[8][9]	Massachusetts Northfield Town Hall, 70 Main Street, Northfield		Joseph Walker	Aberdeen Granite Works	1909 relocated 1960	Quincy granite Gaslight: cast iron	For people, horses and dogs
Burnside Fountain	Massachusetts Worcester Common, Worcester		Charles Y. Harvey (completed by Sherry Fry)	Henry Bacon, architect	1912		For people, horses and dogs	Harvey's Pan-like figure is nicknamed "Turtle Boy." Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Bagley Memorial Fountain	Michigan Detroit			Henry Hobson Richardson, architect	1887		For people	Water flows from the lions' mouths. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Merrill Humane Fountain	Michigan Palmer Park, Detroit			Carrere & Hastings, architects	1901 relocated 1925		For people, horses and dogs	Merrill Humane Fountain in its original location, c. 1906
Miller Memorial Fountain	Mississippi Commerce & Main Streets, Natchez				1911		For people, horses and dogs
American Legion Memorial World War I Memorial	Missouri Swope Park, Kansas City		Merrell Gage	G. B. Franklin, architect Chicago Art Bronze Works, foundry	1921		For people
Jessie Tennille Maschmeyer Memorial Fountain[10] "Zuni Bird Charmer"	Missouri Outside Bird House, St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis		Walker Hancock	Roman Bronze Works, foundry	1932		For people.	The granite plinth features a life-sized bronze figure of a Zuni bird charmer at center and bubbler at each end.
Temperance Fountain (Tompkins Square Park)[11] Cogswell Fountain	New York Tompkins Square Park, Manhattan, New York City		Bertel Thorvaldsen (copy after)	Henry D. Cogswell J. L. Mott Ironworks	1888		For people	Copy of Thorvaldsen's Hebe:
James Fountain Union Square Drinking Fountain	New York Union Square Park, Manhattan, New York City		Karl Adolph Donndorf	J. Leonard Corning, architect	1881		For people and dogs	Donated by Daniel Willis James and Theodore Roosevelt, Sr.[12]
Probasco Fountain	Ohio Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati			Samuel Hannaford, architect	1887		For people, horses and dogs	Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Woodland Cemetery Drinking Fountain	Ohio Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum, Dayton		Karl Bitter		1908-09		For people	Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Benson Bubbler	Oregon Portland			A. E. Doyle, architect	1912		For people	Philanthropist Simon Benson initially installed 20 four-bowl drinking fountains. Portland now features 52 four-bowl Benson Bubblers and 74 single-bowl ones.
David Campbell Monument[13] Portland Fireman's Memorial	Oregon 1800 West Burnside Street, Portland		Avard Fairbanks	Paul Cret, architect	1928		For people, horses and dogs	An exedra (curved bench) with a drinking fountain at center. It empties into a basin on the opposite side for horses and dogs.
Charles B. Merrick Memorial Drinking Fountain	Oregon SE Sandy Street, Portland				1916		For people
Fountain for Company H Second Oregon Company Volunteers Fountain (Spanish-American War)[14]	Oregon Lownsdale Square, Portland		John H. Beaver		1914	limestone & bronze	For people	Located near the Spanish–American War Soldier's Monument
Pioneer Woman[15] (Joy) Laberee Memorial Fountain	Oregon Council Crest Park, Portland		Frederick Littman		1956	Sculpture: bronze Base: granite	For people
Portland Central Library Fountain	Oregon 801 SW 10th Avenue, Portland			A. E. Doyle, architect	1913	Wilkinson sandstone	For people	Fountain is right of center:
Shemanski Fountain	Oregon South Park Blocks, Portland		Oliver Laurence Barrett	Carl L. Linde, architect	1925-26 1928		For people and dogs	Barrett's figure of "Rebecca at the Well" was added in 1928.
Skidmore Fountain	Oregon SW First & Ankeny Streets, Portland		Olin Levi Warner	J. M. Wells, architect	1888	Top basin & caryatids: bronze Lower basin & horse troughs: granite	For people, horses and dogs	The octagonal basin spills into 4 water troughs for horses and dogs.
Thompson Fountain	Oregon Plaza Blocks, 4th Avenue & Main Street, Portland		Roland Hinton Perry	H. G. Wright, architect	1900	Sculpture: bronze Basin & water troughs: Barre granite	For people, horses and dogs
Hebe Fountain Woman's Christian Temperance Union Fountain	Oregon Eagles Park, Lane & Jackson Streets, Roseburg		Bertel Thorvaldsen (copy after)	J. L. Mott Ironworks	1908 2002 (replica)	cast iron	For people, horses and dogs	The original Hebe fountain was damaged in a 1912 accident and removed. The replica fountain, cast from the same molds, was erected in 2002.
Class of 1892 Fountain[16] "The Scholar and the Football Player"	Pennsylvania Quadrangle Dormitories, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia		Alexander Stirling Calder	Bureau Brothers, foundry	1900		For people
Annie L. Lowry Memorial Fountain	Pennsylvania Bainbridge Street median strip at 3rd Street Philadelphia				1910		For horses and dogs	"Drink Gentle Friends" Erected by the Women's Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Mary Rebecca Darby Smith Memorial Fountain Rebecca at the Well	Pennsylvania Horticultural Drive, West Fairmount Park Philadelphia		John J. Boyle		1908 relocated 1934		For people Originally, for people, horses and dogs	"Drink, and I will give thy Camels Drink also." Originally installed on the Spring Garden Street median strip at 12th Street. Relocated to West Fairmount Park, 1934.
Temperance Fountain (Philadelphia)	Pennsylvania Philadelphia				1876 Relocated 1877 Removed to storage 1969		For people	Under a 13-sided gazebo at the 1876 Centennial Exposition. Erected by the Grand Division of the Sons of Temperance. Cost: $2,300 Installed outside Independence Hall, 1877-1969
J. William White Memorial Drinking Fountain	Pennsylvania Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia		R. Tait McKenzie		1921		For people	Portrait medallion of J. William White (1919).
Fireman's Drinking Fountain	Pennsylvania Main Street, Slatington		Caspar Buberl	J. W. Fiske & Company	1909	Sculpture: zinc Base: cast iron	For people and dogs	Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Sterne Fountain[17] Hebe, Goddess of Youth	Texas Lafayette & Market Streets, Jefferson		Giuseppe Moretti	J. L. Mott, foundry	1913	Sculpture: bronze Base: cast iron	For people, horses and dogs
Pin Oak Fountain[18]	West Virginia WV Rte. 29 & Falconwood Road, Pin Oak			Roy Keister, head mason	1932	crystal quartz	For people and horses	2 basins and a horse trough, fed by gravity from a spring uphill of the fountain
R. D. Whitehead Monument[19]	Wisconsin 16th & Pearl Streets, Milwaukee		Sigvald Asbjornsen		1910	Sculpture: bronze Pier & basin: granite	For horses and dogs	The bas-relief panel depicts Whitehead's horse "George" and dog "Dandy." The watering trough is now used as a planter.

References

1. WCTU Drinking Fountains – Then and Now, from Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
2. Colonel Pope Fountain, from Hartford Signs.
3. Dancing Bears Fountain, from Manchester Historical Society.
4. Carrie Welton Fountain, from SIRIS.
5. WCTU Fountain, Shenandoah, from Bleeding Heartland.
6. Charles Taft Fountain, Boston Architectural Club Yearbook, 1912, p. 12.
7. Daniel Chester French, from Town of Lee, Massachusetts.
8. Belcher Memorial Fountain, from SIRIS.
9. Belcher Memorial Fountain, from Arthur Percy Fitt, All About Northfield (1910).
10. Zuni Bird Charmer, from SIRIS.
11. Tompkins Square Park Temperance Fountain, from NYC Parks.
12. Union Square Drinking Fountain, from NYC Parks.
13. David Campbell Monument, from SIRIS.
14. Second Oregon Company Volunteers, from SIRIS.
15. Joy (Pioneer Woman), from Public Art Archive.
16. Class of '92 Fountain, from University of Pennsylvania.
17. Sterne Fountain, from SIRIS.
18. Pin Oak Fountain, from National Park Service.
19. R. D. Whitehead Monument, from SIRIS.