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Community Corner

A Place in Naugatuck History: The Memorial Fountain

The fountain was much more than just something to gander at during a walk through the downtown.

In 1831, when Daniel Beecher gave his beloved Congregational Church a piece of his land so they could build a church facing Church Street. I’m sure he did not envision the beautiful monuments that would grace it less than 70 years later. That same year he also gave St Michael's Episcopal Church the southerly portion of this land and decreed that the land between the two churches would be used for a public green.

At the time, a fast moving brook traveled down from lower Hillside Avenue, through the green, along Maple Street and on to the Naugatuck River.

In 1893, John Whittemore initiated a paper be signed by both churches giving the borough a 999 year lease with each church being paid a dollar a year. Mr. Whittemore then asked the architectural firm McKim, Mead and White, to develop a plan to beautify the green.

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These plans included beautifully placed walkways to highlight the surrounding churches and buildings, tree plantings and a public drinking fountain behind the Civil War Monument.

The design would create a line from Maple Street, through the Civil War Monument and to the entrance of Salem School. A drinking fountain placed behind the monument was designed to be the center of the green.

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In 1895, the pinkish granite fountain was dedicated influenced from Athens in the Age of Pericles, the same inspiration as the high school and library. Water flowed from the lion’s head on the section facing east into a fluted basin and rectangular through below.

It was yet another gracious gift from The Whittemore Family and the town enjoyed it immensely.

The paper would announce when the fountain was open for the season, usually in April. Drinking cups were there as well as ice to keep the water cold on hot summer days. All this goodness however was not without a fair amount of drama.

The Naugatuck Daily News reported on September 10, 1897 the following story:

"The fact that Naugatuck has a woman who has her share of "gall" was demonstrated one afternoon this week at the park. The woman who was accompanied by a dog stopped at the fountain and after taking a drink of water out of one of the cups, refilled the cup and held it under the mouth of her dog while the canine smiled, wagged its tail and quenched its thirst, and probably thought how much better treatment he was receiving than most other dogs. Those who saw the woman holding the cup for her dog to drink were forced to admit that she is capable of getting along in this world if the ability to forget that "there are others" counts for anything." 

The rest of the season faired pretty well for the fountain but when spring of 1898 rolled around, the drama continued as reported by the paper:

June 6, 1898. It is about time that the school children were ordered to stop throwing and injuring the drinking cups at the fountain in the park. The fountain is public property and persons who injure it should be held responsible.

June 7, 1898. Janitor Hart, who has charge of the fountain on the park, would like to have "home" people understand that the fountain is not to be used as a garbage barrel. He would like to have them stop throwing pie tins, orange peels, etc. into it.

June 28, 1898. People are complaining because the water in the park fountain was not cold Sunday. If the Union City Ice Company would put in ice late Saturday night it would probably last all day Sunday. Last year the Salem Spring Ice Company always put in ice in the fountain Saturday night at about 11 o'clock, and in consequence the water was cold Sundays.

On August 9, 1898 a letter was written to the editor expressing the fact that a "Thirsty Citizen" does not appreciate drinking water at the fountain.

To The Editor of The News

Was it an oversight that when water was connected with our beautiful public fountain it was taken from the street service instead of the pipe which supplies the water tank on Church Street? The latter is pure spring water, and always clear and sweet, while the city water, especially after heavy rains, as yesterday, is muddy and offensive to smell and taste. Is it not a little strange that the best water should be reserved for horses?

THIRSTY CITIZEN

The water tank “Thirsty Citizen” refers to was a water fountain for horses located in the center of the street at the Maple and Church Street intersection.

In June of 1901, some youthful pranksters were called out in the paper:

" There should be some means taken to put a stop to the boys who loiter about the public fountain and throw water on one another and frequently on people who are passing by. Besides it isn’t very inviting for a person who would like a drink of water to have to wade through a pond made by these youngsters to get it."

By June of 1911, the pranksters had grown along with their "tricks" as the headline reads:

The Result Was That People Who Went There to Get a Drink Last Evening Received a Shower Instead 

"Someone who thought he was doing a smart trick plugged some of the holes in the newly installed drinking cups at the public fountain last evening with the result that people who went there to get a drink were treated to an unexpected shower bath.

A number of young men who were "wise" as to what was about to happen occupied tile seats nearby. They greeted with laughter the discomfort of those who received the full force of the water in the face when they put down their head to the cups and pressed the faucet.

"I guess we'll have to put on rubber suits before we come here to drink, " remarked one man as he walked away from the fountain wiping the water off his face and clothing.

The name of the person or persons who put plugs in the holes of the drinking cups has not yet been learned but if the police can find out who did it arrests will undoubtedly be made.

Some time ago Warden William J. Neary issued a warning to the effect that boys, who are caught splashing the water at the fountain would be prosecuted, and his warning had a good effect so far as the small boys were concerned.

It looks as though the plugging of the holes yesterday was done by some of the older boys. Some time ago people who were patronizing the drinking fountains were complaining because the water did not come out fast enough. This complaint was attended to and until last night the drinking cups been giving better satisfaction.

The plugging of the holes caused those who went there last night to get a drink, to complain that the water came altogether too freely.

It would seem as though it would be possible to put a stop to the committing of such nuisances at the fountain, for the offenses are really serious.

Hundreds of people stop at the fountain every day and night to refresh themselves with a drink of the ice cold water. Anyone who is so mean as to try to prevent them from doing so ought to understand that his mischievous work is not at all funny. On the contrary, it is most displeasing to the great majority of the people who believe that such tricks should not be tolerated."

While these story's tickle the funny bone, they in no way minimize my grateful heart for the treasures left for us by The Whittemore Family and others over 100 years ago. I applaud the efforts of citizens yesterday and today who care for the monuments, raise money for their repair, and pass them on to the next generation in as fine of shape as they were received. I believe that each piece of our past contains a window to our future.

See you next week when we find another place in Naugatuck history.

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