Water instead of whiskey
The Woman s Christian Temperance Union fountain in Orange was erected in 1904. Contributed photo/Janice Lanou
Modified: 4/4/2021 12:12:04 PM
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.”