Cogswell Memorial Fountain
Through the generosity of Rosetta Pitkat, a life-long resident of Rockville, This statue of Dr. Henry D. Cogswell was commissioned by the Rockville Downtown Association. The Statue, ungainly cast of zinc alloy in 1883, was replicated by LeFevre Studios in New York City, using existing written and photographic archives. Funds to restore the fountain base were obtained through a State of Connecticut Small Cities Grant. Erected by Dr. Henry D. Cogswell in honor of William T. Cogswell, his cousin. A staunch supporter of Prohibition, the sculpture of Dr. Cogswell has him holding a Temperance pledge in one hand and a glass of water in the other. On July 4, 1885 the figure was stolen and dumped into Snipsic Lake. It was recovered, only to disappear shortly afterwards. The statue reappeared on July 4, 1908 during the Town Centennial Celebration. It was finally melted for scrap during WWII The fountain base is one of over a dozen similar Temperance-themed fountains that Cogswell had commissioned in notable cities such as San Francisco, Washington DC and Philadelphia. The Rockville fountain is on the Smithsonian Inventory of American Paintings and Sculpture.
Comments 0 comments