Temperance Fountain

Temperance Fountain

NPS / Claire Hassler

Quick Facts

Amenities

1 listed

Public Transit

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the temperance movement, opposing the consumption of alcohol, gained popularity and political power, culminating in the passage of the 18th Amendment, banning alcohol in 1919. This fountain was donated by Henry Cogswell and erected adjacent to the Central Market in 1884. Filled with ice, the water that flowed from this fountain offered a refreshing alternative to the numerous bars and liquor stores nearby, including one on the ground floor of the adjacent Central National Bank Building. Other temperance fountains were erected in other major cities, though few have survived to the present day.

Inscriptions

FAITH
HOPE
CHARITY
TEMPERANCE
PRESENTED BY
HENRY D. COGSWELL
OF SAN FRANCISCO CAL.