'Venus Rising From the Sea' - Atlas Obscura

'Venus Rising From the Sea'

Wolcott, New York

This elegant structure at the heart of a Finger Lakes town was originally a drinking fountain. 

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This is the fountain that resides in the middle of the tiny Village of Wolcott. It is a cast iron statue of Venus surrounded by cherubs, fishes, and mythical sea creatures spouting water in several cascades. She stands some 10 feet tall and holds an electric globe above her head.

Venus Rising from the Sea was cast at Mott Iron Works in New York City. It was assembled at the corner of East Main Street and New Hartford Street in September 1913 and cost $897, which had been raised through a donation campaign led by a local newspaper publisher. Originally, the fountain was meant to serve as an elegant source of drinking water and featured drinking cups on every other corner of its octagonal base. Its base has since been replaced, and now it serves as a decorative feature of the town rather than a drinking fountain.

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At the crossroads of East Main St and New Hartford St.

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