The College Avenue Fountain

The College Avenue Fountain. . , In 1907, the fountain at the left in the photograph was donated to the town by the Woman's Literary Club, later known as The State College Woman's Club, at a cost of $152.60. The fountain was to be of the latest design and would provide troughs for the watering of horses, cattle and smaller animals, and a faucet for the accommodation of man., When College Avenue was paved, the fountain was sold. IT stood by the roadside in Pine Grove Mills for years until Mrs. Helen Atherton Govier, whose mother was a founding member of the Literary Club, rescued it and placed it in her garden at 508 South Atherton Street in State College. The home was sold to the Elsbeth D. and Otto Poschadel family in 1951. Their daughter Dottie's job was to keep the fountain painted silver. Because Dottie and her husband, Chris Roberts, recognized the historical significance of the fountain to the community and the need to preserve it as part of our heritage, they chose our 1996 Centennial Celebration as the time to return the fountain to the community., The fountain has been restored by State College Borough staff and was presented to the community on August 29, 1996., The original photograph by Heston M. Hill, was donated by his granddaughter, Debbie Day, to The State College Centennial Collection of Historic Photographs.