WASHINGTON -- In the shadow of the Archives building, you'll find no shortage of iconic statues and monuments. One of those statues though, is perhaps one of the most overlooked in the city. It's a statue that's received it's share of criticism over the years. In fact, it's been coined "the ugliest statue in the city," by some past lawmakers.
We're talking about the Temperance Statue, located by 7th Street and Indiana Avenue, NW. In the latest edition of "The Why," we explore the interesting history of this not-so-iconic statue.
Our Question: Why is there a Temperance Statue in downtown DC?
The story idea was sent to WUSA9 by Eli Birge, a viewer who called it "one of the strangest neo-classical art pieces in D.C."
Birge is right about one thing. It is unusual.
On the top, there is a bronze heron, and below is a pair of intertwined animals. Historians believe these are dolphins, although the anatomy is a bit unclear. Whatever animal it is, the mouth is wide open. At one point, this acted as a water fountain, and water would flow from the mouth of this animal. Along the top of the statue are four words: Faith, charity, hope, and temperance.
The entire project was the brainchild of Dr. Henry Cogswell. He was not only the architect, but also the financier. Cogswell made his money as a dentist in San Francisco, during the Gold Rush, and was a passionate crusader for prohibition. He really hated alcohol. In particular, Cogswell was frustrated with the proliferation of bars that were spreading through U.S. cities, and so he brainstormed an out-of-the-box solution.
Cogswell figured people would stop drinking alcohol, if they could just get access to free water instead. That's why he donated more than four-dozen of these ornate water-fountains across the country. Some still exist, like the D.C. statue, and another one in Tompkins Square in New York City. Others though had a more unfortunate fate. One in San Francisco was eventually torn down by a mob. Another in Connecticut was eventually thrown in a lake. Dozens more came down without theatrics, as they withered away through the decades that followed.
As for the D.C. statue, it's survived, but not without a healthy dose of irony. That's because this statue used to be located by the intersection of 7th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, and it was directly outside of Apex, a well-known liquor store. Let that sink in for a moment. The Temperance Statue, spent most of it's existence outside of a liquor store.
Eventually, in the late 80's, the city redesigned the area, creating Indiana Plaza. When they did so, they moved the statue about 100 feet, to the other side of the Plaza, so another more relevant statue could have that prime real estate along Pennsylvania Avenue.
The D.C. Statue also faced decades of criticism for being ugly. In fact, in 1945 Senator Sheridan Downey tried to get rid of it calling it a "monstrosity of art."
And yet, the statue still remains today, partially due to a group called "The Cogswell Society." This group formed in the '80s to protect the statue, but that certainly doesn't make them fans of prohibition. In fact, the group would often meet at bars or restaurants to hold their meetings, and was considered a "drinking society," according to historian Garrett Peck.
The group had a motto that defined their mission: "Temperance. I'll drink to that."
Do you have a why question, you want answered? You can send your questions or ideas to reporter Evan Koslof on Twitter to @ekoslof, on Facebook at "Evan Koslof Reporting," or by email at ekoslof@wusa9.com. If you want to learn more about prohibtion in the district, you can read Garret Peck's book "Prohibition In Washington D.C. - How Dry We Weren't," available on Amazon now.
