In the center of Orange is a stone drinking fountain with a history all its own. The fountain was erected by the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union in town. “The WCTU fountain has been a fixture in the center of Orange since 1904, although not always in the same location,” said Janice Lanou, member of the Orange Walking Tour Brochure Committee. “If you look at old postcards of downtown Orange, your eye eventually goes to the fountain, dwarfed by the Lamb’s block at the corner of West Main Street and South Main Street. Time proved it to be an unsuitable location as the fountain was damaged several times by large trucks turning the sharp corner in front of it. In its present home, diagonally across the Square, it is safe from traffic and is more visible to the public.”
Funds were raised to build the fountain by the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. The words “Woman’s Christian Temperance Union” can be seen on the cap of the fountain, with one word on each side. Along with faucets for drinking fountains, it also has a smaller basin below for dogs.
The National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was begun in November 1874, in Cleveland, Ohio and is still in existence today. The movement spread throughout the United States, eventually arriving in Orange. The Orange chapter of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union formed in 1885, according to Janet Olson, archivist at the Frances Willard House Museum and WCTU archives in Evanston, Ill., making the WCTU in Orange one of the earliest Temperance Unions in Franklin County.
The idea behind the fountain was that supplying public drinking water to the public would encourage them to stay away from alcohol. “As to the original purpose, I know of no records kept to determine the effectiveness in achieving sobriety in our town. But it has provided a refreshing cool drink of water for the public and its dogs for over 100 years,” Lanou said.
Olson said that according to a pamphlet entitled “The Massachusetts Woman’s Christian Temperance Union: Centennial History,” by Marion Wiles, “The installation of public drinking fountains was an important part of the WCTU’s platform, providing fresh water for people to drink rather than visit saloons,” There are WCTU drinking fountains, often with a horse trough attached, in parks and squares or on street corners all over the country, sponsored by the local WCTU branches, Olson said. There are several fountains in Massachusetts, besides the one in Orange, including fountains in Uxbridge and Leominster, she added.
“The fountain’s location at the heart of the Square made it our choice for the starting point of the Town of Orange Historic Walking Tour brochure, Lanou said. The self-guided history walking tour brochure is a collaboration between the Orange Revitilization Project (ORP) and the Orange Historical Society (OHS). The research and design for the brochure was carried out by Ann Miller, chair, Janice Lanou, Kathy Schiappa, Pam Smith and Pennie Smith. It is hoped the brochure will be available this spring.