Community Corner

Hidden Gems Of Hartford And Tolland Counties

Some say the latest Hidden Gem is an historic artifact. Some say it's just weird.

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The Cogswell Fountain in the Rockville Section of Vernon.
The Cogswell Fountain in the Rockville Section of Vernon. (Chris Dehnel/Patch)

VERNON, CT — The latest trip to a Hidden Gem takes us to one end of Central Park in front of Vernon Town Hall, where a statue with a colorful history stands.

Some call it historical, some say it once sent a strong message. Others say it's just plain weird.

Anyway, the Cogswell Fountain is firmly etched in local lore.

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In 1883, Henry Cogswell, a San Francisco real estate tycoon, millionaire dentist, eccentric philanthropist and temperance crusader, donated the fountain to the Rockville section of town in honor of his cousin, William Cogswell, a local builder.

Cogswell believed the availability of clean drinking water from public fountains would steer commoners away from the evils of "distilled liquors." He thus pledged to put up a fountain for every 100 saloons across the country.

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Cogswell topped the fountains with life-sized statues of himself holding a glass of water in his right hand and a copy of the Temperance Pledge in his left. Many of the fountains were made of bronze or granite, but the one in Vernon was made of zinc.

The Cogswell Fountain in Vernon. (Chris Dehnel/Patch)
The Cogswell fountain in Vernon. (Chris Dehnel/Patch)

That's when the adventures began. On July 4, 1885, local historic accounts tell us the statue was stolen and dumped into Shenipsit Lake, which is, ironically the town's fresh water supply.

Cogswell was rescued from the drink, but he "disappeared" until July 4, 1908, when he made an appearance as part of the Vernon Centennial Celebration. The statue was eventually donated to the World War II effort as scrap metal.

In the early 2000s, a replica was commissioned and in 2015, the replica was repaired.

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The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Hartford and Tolland counties. Do you have a favorite "hidden gem" in the area that you wish to see featured in this column? Email your ideas to tim.jensen@patch.com.

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