In Memory of Dick and Fan

By Paul Armstrong

From 1926 until 1983, a fountain stood on the median of Assembly Street at Taylor Street.  Having seen this fountain many times during my high school and college years, I’ve often wondered about the story behind it and what happened to it.  So, I decided to research it and below is what I’ve discovered. (There was also an older animal fountain at Assembly and Lady Streets which you can read about at this link: Itinerant Landmark.)

The Porcher Fountain on Assembly Street in 1956
Photo Courtesy of Richland County Library's State Newspaper Photograph Archive

In 1925, a 14-year-old dog named Dick died at his home on Edisto Avenue in Columbia.  He was a Gordon Setter and was the beloved pet of Artemis ‘Artie’ and Loretta Porcher (pronounced ‘Por-shay’).  Dick was apparently so named because he was a gift from the late Richard ‘Dick’ Reynolds for whom Artie worked as division sales manager for the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Loretta was so bereaved by the dog’s death that she wanted to erect a monument in his memory. So, in January of 1926, she presented a request to the Columbia City Council to erect an ornate fountain at the intersection of Assembly and Taylor Streets in memory of her late pet.

City Council approved the request and selected the spot on the median of Assembly on the south side of its intersection with Taylor Street.  Later in 1926, Ms. Porcher had the fountain built and installed on the chosen site. It was designed by Columbia architect, J. Carroll Johnson, and built by Joseph Niggel’s Columbia Stone Co. It was constructed of Georgia granite and was six-feet high and four-feet wide.  A semi-circular trough held water at horse height on one side, and a dog trough was on the other side at ground level. A bronze tablet was affixed above the horse trough that was inscribed with the words, “Dick 1911-1925 He loved and was loved.”

The Porcher Fountain in 1976
Photo Courtesy of Richland County Library's State Newspaper Photograph Archive

In 1928, the Porchers lost another dog to death, a female named Fan. They had another bronze plaque made and attached to the opposite side of the fountain above the dog trough.  The inscription on this plaque said, “Fan 1914-1928 Faithful to Those She Loved.” 

Rear of the Porcher Fountain Showing Dog Trough, 1962
Photo Courtesy of Richland County Library's State Newspaper Photograph Archive

The Porcher Fountain’s location near the north end of the Assembly Street Market was close to the corner where draymen, with their horses and wagons, often awaited customers who needed their larger purchases delivered. So, it not only served horses bringing products to the market, but also slaked the thirst of animals pulling heavy merchandise loads like firewood, lumber, etc. to homes around the area. The proliferation of automobiles and trucks, along with the closing of the Assembly Street Market in 1951, severely reduced the demand for animal watering on Assembly Street. The fountain fell into disuse and the water supply was eventually disconnected. It became a non-functioning landmark passed daily by many motorists. Finally, city officials decided to relocate the fountain away from the heavily trafficked intersection of Assembly and Taylor Streets. 

Porcher Fountain at Arsenal Hill Park, 1983
Photo Courtesy of Richland Library's Russell Maxey Photograph Collection

The fountain was moved in 1983 to Arsenal Hill Park which was a quiet little park that commanded a great view of Columbia’s skyline but also overlooked the old eyesore known as Seaboard Industrial Park.  In the late 1980s, the city converted Seaboard Park into a renewed Sidney Park which opened in 1990 and was renamed Finlay Park in 1993. With the much larger, attractive park just across the street, the city no longer felt the need to maintain Arsenal Hill Park. The one-third of an acre park property around the community center building was sold to developers who built an office building and parking garage.  The main part of the Porcher fountain was moved to storage.  The dog trough, however, made its way to the Riverfront Park.

Dog Trough at Riverfront Park
Photo Courtesy of Hardy Childers

Sources

• “A. D. Porcher, 63, Dies.” The Columbia Record, September 22, 1941, page 14.
• “City acts to rezone land for garage.” The State, May 20, 1993, page 2B.
• “Council Inspects Site for Fountain.” The State, January 13, 1926, page 12.
• “Council Selects Site for Memorial Fountain to be Erected to Dog.” The Columbia Record, January 18, 1926, page 3.
• “Daybook.” The Columbia Record, September 20, 1955, page 8-A.
• “Developers take garage proposal to city officials.” The State, April 7, 1993, page 3B.
• “Downtown land sale criticized.” The State, July 22, 1993, page 2B.
• “Erect Fountain to Dead Canine.” The Columbia Record, January 9, 1926, page 1.
• “The Live Wire.” The Columbia Record, March 3, 1967, page 1-A.
• “Live Wire.” The Columbia Record, May 25, 1976, page 2-A.
• “Live Wire.” The Columbia Record, May 28, 1982, page 2-A.
• McDonald, Bill. “Fountain Facts.” The State, June 4, 1987, page 1-B.
• McDonald, Bill. “Two Fountains.” The State, April 30, 1987, page 1-B.
• “Mrs. Porcher’s Funeral Planned This Afternoon.” The Columbia Record, May 18, 1949, page 9-B.
• Talbert, Bob. “The Memorial Fountain.” The State, July 13, 1966, page 1-B.

Itinerant Landmark

by Paul Armstrong

For over 40 years an ornate drinking fountain for horses and dogs stood at the intersection of Assembly and Lady Streets. After hearing a lot of questions and varied stories about the history of this fountain, I decided to search the archives to see what I could find. It turns out this iconic piece of Columbia lore was moved around quite a bit over the decades. Below is the story of what I found while researching the National Humane Alliance Fountain. (There was a second animal fountain on Assembly Street that you can read about at this link: In Memory of Dick and Fan.)

The National Humane Alliance Fountain at Earlewood Park
Photo by Author, May 8, 2021

The National Humane Alliance was founded in 1897 by Herman Lee Ensign, a successful New York advertising executive, to promote the compassionate treatment of animals. At his death in 1899, Ensign left a sizable endowment to be used by the Alliance to provide fresh drinking water for horses and other animals by donating fountains to cities across the United States.  Under the direction of Ensign’s lifelong friend, Lewis M. Seaver, the National Humane Alliance donated fountains to over 120 communities beginning with Binghamton, NY in 1903.

In 1907, Belle Williams, president of the Columbia Civic League, learned of the National Humane Alliance’s activities and convinced her organization to pursue a fountain for Columbia.  The Civic League’s application for the fountain was endorsed by City Council, the Chamber of Commerce, and The State Newspaper. In September 1907, Lewis Seaver visited Columbia, assessed several proposed locations for the fountain, and decided upon the site at the intersection of Assembly and Lady Streets.  Seaver then sent a letter to City Council offering the fountain free of charge if the city agreed to transfer the fountain from the train car, place it on a good foundation, install plumbing and water connections, and guarantee a continuous fresh water supply and permanent maintenance. City Council agreed to the Alliance’s conditions and a fountain was procured, shipped to Columbia, and installed in July 1908. 

Manufactured by the Bodwell Granite Company of Vinalhaven, ME, Columbia’s fountain is of polished granite with bronze trimmings.  It is six feet, eight inches high and five feet in diameter.  There is an upper trough that was used for horses and four smaller troughs around the bottom for dogs. Water streamed from the mouths of two lion heads into the upper trough and trickled through pipes to the lower troughs. For over forty years it stood in the area of the Assembly Street Curb Market quenching the thirsts of humans’ best friends and most loyal servants.

The National Humane Alliance Fountain on Elmwood Avenue in 1955
Photo Courtesy of The State Newspaper Photograph Archive of the Richland Library

In 1951, the Assembly Street Curb Market was closed after the new State Farmers Market opened on Bluff Road.  Shortly thereafter, the National Humane Alliance fountain was removed from Assembly Street and installed on the median of Elmwood Avenue at Bull Street.  Around 1960, it was moved again when Elmwood Avenue was upgraded to handle the traffic generated by completion of the new Interstate-126 business spur route into Columbia. This time the fountain was turned over to the City of Columbia’s Parks and Recreation Department and placed on exhibit at Earlewood Park off North Main Street where it stood for approximately 20 years.

The National Humane Alliance Fountain in Front of the Township Auditorium, 2009

Photo from The State, April 26, 2012

In honor of the Township Auditorium’s 50th Anniversary celebration in 1980, the Parks and Recreation Department donated the fountain to the venue.  It was moved to the concrete paved area in front of the Township on Taylor Street where it was displayed for 29 years. In 2009, the fountain was removed from in front of the auditorium and placed in storage to make room for expansion of the facility.

In 2012, after much effort by members of the Earlewood Community Organization, led by Elizabeth 'Aunt Lib' Davis and Fred Monk, the fountain was returned to Earlewood Park.  It now sits in a garden adjacent to the park’s new community building. The garden is named ‘the Elizabeth Glover Davis Garden’ in honor of Aunt Lib.

Other South Carolina communities that have National Humane Alliance fountains include Abbeville, Camden, Georgetown, and Laurens. All of these fountains are currently displayed in public squares and parks. 

Sources

• “Business Men Outline Work.” The State, March 12, 1907, page 5.
• “Chamber of Commerce.” The State, June 11, 1907, page 9.
• “City Council.” The State, March 13, 1907, page 9.
• “City Fountain Given by Humane Alliance.” The State, March 26, 1907, page 9.
• “The Columbia Daybook.” The Columbia Record, September 15, 1955, page 13.
• "Columbia, SC Fountains." Electronic Valley, Inc., Derby, CT.
• “Daybook.” The Columbia Record, September 20, 1955, page 9.
• “Death of H. L. Ensign.” Burlington Daily News (Burlington, VT), February 11, 1899, page 6.
• “A Drinking Fountain Has Been Given the City.” The State, September 18, 1907, page 6.
• “Handsome Fountain Has Been Installed.” The State, July 6, 1908, page 8.
• Holleman, Joey. “100-year-old animal fountain will return to Earlewood Park.” The State, April 26, 2012, page B6.
• “Itinerant Landmark.” The State, December 9, 1953, page 4.
• “Live Wire.” The Columbia Record, August 19, 1982, page 2.
• “Mary Elizabeth Glover Davis.” The State, February 2017, page 12C.
• National Humane Alliance Fountains Facebook Page.
  
• “The Patriotic Societies.” The State, December 15, 1907, page 6.
• “Public Fountain Will Arrive Soon.” The State, May 29, 1908, page 10.
• “Secretary Moorman’s Report, The State, November 26, 1907, page 8.
• “Selecting a Location for Drinking Fountain.” The State, March 21, 1907, page 6.
• “State News Items Here and There.” Buffalo Evening News (Buffalo, NY), April 6, 1903, page 17.
• "A Watering Hole for Horses." Electronic Valley, Inc., Derby, CT.
• “Williamston.” Vermont Watchman and State Journal (Montpelier, VT), April 16, 1903, page 5.