Do you ever think of the role water plays in your life? Every day we use water for such things as drinking, cooking, and cleaning. Most of us take for granted the ease of simply turning on the faucet. As a child, Carver came to this spring to get water for these same needs. After filling his bucket, he would carry it up the hill along a path from the spring to the cabin.

Carver spent much of his childhood in poor health. Instead of performing the traditional male tasks on the farm, he stayed closer to home and helped with such household chores as fetching water, cooking, laundry, and collecting chicken eggs. These domestic skills, although not usually learned by boys of that era, proved valuable to him in later life. As he traveled the Midwest seeking an education, he supported himself by raking in laundry, helping with housework, and doing similar tasks.

The Carver spring house was located in this area. A spring house was used much as we use a refrigerator today. The water coming from beneath the earth’s surface was much colder than water already on the surface. Butter, milk and cream were put in the spring house to be kept cool.

Unfortunately the quality of the water has seriously deteriorated since the days of young George. Activities outside the park, such as agriculture and septic tank use, have made the water resources unsafe for human consumption. For your own safety, we ask that you do not drink from any of the water sources, nor wade, fish or swim in the streams and pond.

To continue along the trail, please return to the statue, cross the foot bridge and walk through the woods to the next stop at the pond.