Women's Christian Temperance Union Fountain - Orange Center Historic District - Orange, MA
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 35.452 W 072° 18.588
18T E 720729 N 4718891
A Women's Christian Temperance Union Fountain is located on the northwest corner of West Main and North Main Streets in Orange, MA.
Waymark Code: WM174VD
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 12/12/2022
Views: 0
Late in the 19th and early in the 20th centuries the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) encouraged their chapters to place drinking fountains in public places to encourage men to drink water and avoid alcohol. A number of these drinking fountains are still in place today.
This Women's Christian Temperance Union Fountain is located in the downtown section of Orange, MA. The 7' high by 4' square fountain is built of rough cut granite blocks and a pyramidal roof supported by four polished red granite columns. The fountain has been fitted with two modern water spigots. Polished red granite dadoes below the roof are inscribed (counter-clockwise from the west side):
WOMAN'S
CHRISTIAN
TEMPERANCE
UNION
Below the columns on the east side inscribed TEMPERANCE is the date 1904 inscribed in raised numbers.