Cushman Fountain - 1886 - Monson, MA - Dated Architectural Structures Multifarious on Waymarking.com

Solomon F. Cushman was a prominent mill owner in Monson. In 1877, he acquired the Monson Woolen Manufacturing Company and renamed the company S. F. Cushman & Sons. He also owned a second mill on Elm Street which he called the Branch Mill.

The Cushman Fountain was erected by Solomon Cushman in honor of his family. The granite fountain is square with rounded corners. Four pillars support a circular roof with a finial in the center. The roof=line is inscribed: Erected by S.F. Cushman. In the center of the fountain is a post which is inscribed with the date 1886. A basin what once captured water coming from the post is on the north side. Urns on the east and west sided are now uses as planters.

According to the narrative for the Monson Center Historic District See Link

The Cushman Fountain, a large granite structure with classical details, originally stood in the middle of Main Street. The fountain was erected in 1886 by Solomon Cushman, a prominent citizen and mill owner who served on several important civic committees. It was designed to honor his family, who had held a long interest in Monson's textile industries, and to provide for the well-being of local residents. With the advent of the automobile, the fountain became a traffic hazard and was moved to a safer location on the lawn of Memorial Hall.