The trough sits in front of the Luther Store. It has been called the water fountain and it also had a lamp post in the center.
In 1906, the trough was donated to the Town of Swansea by Lizzie and Emma Borden. It was made in 1880 by the Henry F. Jenks Foundry, in Pawtucket Rhode Island.
From article 35 of the March 13th, 1950 Swansea Town Meeting, the town voted and accepted "that the iron horse trough previously located in front of the Stevens School, and the two iron lamp post previously located in front of the Town Hall will be conveyed to the Swansea Historical Society as a gift. This gift was in the form of a cast iron Fountain from which Swansea horses used to drink and was placed on the north lawn of the Luther Store Museum, Swansea's first supermarket. It carries a patent of June 8th, 1880 and was cast at the Henry F. Jenks Foundry in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It originally stood at the junction of Main Street and Mill Road in front of District II school, now the Stevens School."
Below are a few pictures of the iron trough, 2 in front of the Luther store and one picture in front of the District II Schoolhouse where the Frank S. Stevens school now stands. If you look carefully in the picture in front of the District II Schoolhouse you can see the lamp post coming out of the center of the trough.
The trough is being cleaned and it will be painted black. Swansea Historical Society member Brandon Travers is donating his time to do this for us. The top portion of the trough will be sealed. We will be adding soil and planting a Victorian Garden in the trough.