The Old Pump House

The Old Pump House. . The pump and pump house were reconstructed in 2017 courtesy of the Rotary Club of Brown County. , Prior to 1949, several pumps were in use around Nashville to provide water for families who were without a well on their property, and more significantly for fighting fires. The old pump on the town square and two pumps near the Courthouse are believed to date to about 1800. , In 1940 the “Old Town Pump” were ceremoniously laid to rest with a funeral in connection with the town’s celebration of its new water system which supplied water to the town from Ogle Lake in Brown County State Park. The “Water System Celebration” held on Saturday July 2, 1949, was reported extensively in the Brown County Democrat weekly, starting on June 16th and ending with a story about the celebration in the July 17, 1949 edition. , Harry “Bud” Austin, owner of the Leather shop, was in charge of the elaborate funeral and burial of the “Old Town Pump,” complete with a period of lying in state, an old horse drawn hearse borrowed from William Mullenix of Spencer, and professional mourners. The mourners were hired because no one regretted the passing of the “Old Town Pump.” The parson for the funeral was James Austin of the United Methodist Church. Mrs. Richard “Cotton” Campbell and Mrs. Oliver “Lucille” Shipley served as the mourners. The Courthouse Bell was tolled 60 times to represent the age of the pump on the day of the funeral. , The ceremony was followed by square dancing and a free movie at its customary place near the Community Club Building. As the celebration was closing down, someone was quoted as saying “the whole affair was an appropriate celebration to a very worthwhile project.” , The Rotary Club of Brown County is thankful for the time, effort and materials from the following: Steve Miller, Architect; Brian Snyder, Builder; Bay and Sons Masonry; Brad Cox, Pump Restoration; Doris May Herbert Jones, donation of pump.