A fountain donated by the Stafford Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) in 1909 has a new look. The fountain was featured following the Memorial Day Veterans of Foreign Wars service on May 26 at the Stafford Cemetery. Kathie Lawrence gave a short presentation on the history of WCTU fountains donated from 1874 to 1930.

Now in its 152nd year, the WCTU, based in Illinois, has a record of 90 fountains located in the United States, Canada and England. Over the years, many have been lost to vandals and aging.

“The fountains were placed in towns intended to be a source of fresh water to man and beast,” Lawrence reported.

The fountain was donated to the City of Stafford on May 4, 1909, and located on the southwest corner of Broadway and Main. In 1917, the fountain was donated to the Cemetery Association and it was moved to the Stafford Cemetery. It appears water was pumped to the fountain in the past but it is not a working fountain at this time.

Lawrence has started the paperwork to document the history of the fountain so it can be added to the WCTU database. The fountain bowl is 3 feet in height with a diameter of 4 feet 7 inches and a depth of 1 foot 3 inches. The height of the centerpiece is estimated at 5 feet.

Pat Titus, Steve Lawrence and Kathie Lawrence removed many coats of paint from the fountain, using wire brushes and a Dremel for the detailed flowers on it. After the fountain was stripped of all the old paint and rust, it was repainted a bronze color that sparkles in the sunlight. “The fountain is beautiful now,” she said. “A special thank you to Ryan Clark for his painting skills.”