Temperance Fountain
Encyclopedia
The Temperance Fountain is a fountain
and statue
located in Washington, D.C.
, donated to the city in 1882 by Henry D. Cogswell
, a dentist
from San Francisco, California
, who was a crusader in the temperance movement
.
This fountain was one of a series of fountains he designed and commissioned in a belief that easy access to cool drinking water would keep people from consuming alcoholic beverage
s.
, and the centerpiece is a pair of entwined heraldic scaly dolphin
s. Originally, visitors were supposed to freely drink ice water flowing from the dolphins' snouts with a brass
cup attached to the fountain and the overflow was collected by a trough for horse
s, but the city tired of having to replenish the ice in a reservoir underneath the base and disconnected the supply pipes.
The inscription reads:
(Base of fish:)
PRESENTED BY
DR. HENRY D. COGSWELL
OF SAN FRANCISCO CAL
(Top of temple:)
TEMPERANCE
FAITH
HOPE
CHARITY
and Pennsylvania Avenue
NW, near the National Archives and has been called "the city's ugliest statue". The late NBC
correspondent Bryson Rash, writing in Footnote Washington, a 1981 book of capital lore, reported that "these unusual and awkward structures spurred the movement across the country for city fine arts commissions to screen such gifts" prior to funding. In April 1945, Sen. Sheridan Downey
of California
introduced a Senate resolution to remove the fountain, but, preoccupied with World War II
, Congress
ignored the resolution and it died in committee.
The statue was originally placed at Seventh and Indiana, having been placed in the rather obscure location, since the statue was regarded as undesirable from the start. For many years, it ironically sat in front of a busy liquor store
, while it was dry itself.
In 1987, it was relocated, about 10 yards north, during the renewal by the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation.
, a small group of Washington professionals who have taken it upon themselves to take care of the fountain.
In 1984, is was placed on the Downtown Historic District National Register #84003901.
, Tompkins Square Park
New York City
, and Rockville, Connecticut
.
Other examples were erected and then torn down at: Buffalo
, Rochester
, Boston Common
, Fall River, Massachusetts, Pacific Grove, California
, and San Francisco.
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
and statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
located in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, donated to the city in 1882 by Henry D. Cogswell
Henry D. Cogswell
Dr. Henry Daniel Cogswell was a dentist and a crusader in the temperance movement. He and his wife Caroline also founded Cogswell College in San Francisco, California. Another campus in Everett, Washington was later dedicated in his honor.-Life:Born in Tolland, Connecticut, as a youth, he worked...
, a dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
from San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, who was a crusader in the temperance movement
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
.
This fountain was one of a series of fountains he designed and commissioned in a belief that easy access to cool drinking water would keep people from consuming alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s.
Design
The fountain has four stone columns supporting a canopy on whose sides the words "Faith," "Hope," "Charity," and "Temperance" are chiseled. Atop this canopy is a life-sized heronHeron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
, and the centerpiece is a pair of entwined heraldic scaly dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s. Originally, visitors were supposed to freely drink ice water flowing from the dolphins' snouts with a brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
cup attached to the fountain and the overflow was collected by a trough for horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s, but the city tired of having to replenish the ice in a reservoir underneath the base and disconnected the supply pipes.
The inscription reads:
(Base of fish:)
PRESENTED BY
DR. HENRY D. COGSWELL
OF SAN FRANCISCO CAL
(Top of temple:)
TEMPERANCE
FAITH
HOPE
CHARITY
Location
The fountain sits at the corner of Seventh Street7th Street (Washington, D.C.)
There are four north-south arteries in Washington, D.C. named Seventh Street that are differentiated by the quadrants of the city in which they are located. Historically, 7th Street has been a main north-south road in Washington, being the main route for travelers and farmers coming into the city...
and Pennsylvania Avenue
Pennsylvania Avenue
Pennsylvania Avenue is a street in Washington, D.C. that joins the White House and the United States Capitol. Called "America's Main Street", it is the location of official parades and processions, as well as protest marches...
NW, near the National Archives and has been called "the city's ugliest statue". The late NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
correspondent Bryson Rash, writing in Footnote Washington, a 1981 book of capital lore, reported that "these unusual and awkward structures spurred the movement across the country for city fine arts commissions to screen such gifts" prior to funding. In April 1945, Sen. Sheridan Downey
Sheridan Downey
Sheridan Downey was a lawyer and a Democratic U.S. Senator from California from 1939 to 1950.-Early life:...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
introduced a Senate resolution to remove the fountain, but, preoccupied with World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
ignored the resolution and it died in committee.
The statue was originally placed at Seventh and Indiana, having been placed in the rather obscure location, since the statue was regarded as undesirable from the start. For many years, it ironically sat in front of a busy liquor store
Liquor store
In the United States, Australia and Canada, a liquor store is a type of store that specializes in the sale of alcoholic beverages. In South Africa and Namibia these stores are generally called bottle stores....
, while it was dry itself.
In 1987, it was relocated, about 10 yards north, during the renewal by the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation.
Upkeep
The fountain is also the source of the name for the Cogswell SocietyCogswell Society
The Cogswell Society is a social group founded in 1972 by employees of the Federal Trade Commission, whose office neighbors the landmark Temperance Fountain designed by Henry D. Cogswell. The society, which meets monthly at various bars around the Washington, D.C...
, a small group of Washington professionals who have taken it upon themselves to take care of the fountain.
In 1984, is was placed on the Downtown Historic District National Register #84003901.
Other Cogswell fountains
Cogswell's fountains can be found in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Tompkins Square Park
Tompkins Square Park
Tompkins Square Park is a 10.5 acre public park in the Alphabet City section of the East Village neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is square in shape, and is bounded on the north by East 10th Street, on the east by Avenue B, on the south by East 7th Street, and on the...
New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and Rockville, Connecticut
Rockville, Connecticut
Rockville is a census-designated place and a village of the town of Vernon in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,708 at the 2000 census...
.
Other examples were erected and then torn down at: Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, Boston Common
Boston Common
Boston Common is a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as the "Boston Commons". Dating from 1634, it is the oldest city park in the United States. The Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street, Park Street, Beacon Street,...
, Fall River, Massachusetts, Pacific Grove, California
Pacific Grove, California
Pacific Grove is a coastal city in Monterey County, California, USA, with a population of 15,041 as of the 2010 census, down from 15,522 as of the 2000 census...
, and San Francisco.
External links
- "Cogswell Temperance Fountain", wikimapia
- http://dcmemorials.com/index_indiv0000570.htm
- http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/temperance-fountain-by-henry-d-cogswell/
- http://www.prohibitionhangover.com/temptour.html