Water flows once again from Harriman Fountain

By Ginny Privitar
GOSHEN — Water long ago stopped flowing from the sculpted horse heads of the Harriman Fountain. Now, thanks to Goshen Restoration Unlimited and others, crystal clear water streams once again into its elegant basin.

At the rededication ceremony on July 27, two young equestrians guided their ponies to the fountain to drink — Alea Lasaponara, 7, of Goshen, on Diva, and her friend Meghan Jurain, 9, of Greenville, on Blue. They proved the adage: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”

Maybe the ponies were shy in front of the crowd. It hardly mattered. The crowd was highly pleased at the sight, which recalled a similar gesture at the original dedication ceremony in 1911. Several young people cooled their feet in the water.

The fountain was erected to honor Edward Henry Harriman, who not only owned several railroads, including the Erie, but was a great supporter of harness racing and a public-spirited citizen. His family contributed much to Orange County, including the land for the former Arden Hill Hospital and Harriman State Park.

"He Lives in the Memory of His Friends," the inscription reads, in part.

The Orange County Horse and Road Improvement Association dedicated the fountain on Feb. 25, 1911, on the anniversary of Harriman's birth. It replaced a horse trough that once occupied the spot. The fountain, too, provided drinking water for horses, but also served as a graceful focal point for the once-five-street intersection at the northwest corner of Church Park.

The monument was designed by Charles Rumsey, Harriman’s son-in-law, and constructed by George F. and Charles Richard. Frank C. Hock was in charge of the work.

The fountain consists of a pink granite bowl, 14 feet across, out of which rises a short column with four bronze horse heads as fountainheads. Above them is a representation of four horses couché, back to back. This serves as the base of a bronze post, six feet high, topped by an electric light.

In 1992, community members planted ornamentals in the triangle around the fountain and installed benches.

Maureen Quattrini, president of Goshen Restoration, and her husband, Ray, a board member, led the rededication with historian Ed Connor, Deputy Mayor Ed Char, and Supervisor Doug Bloomfield. Bloomfield said the fountain wasn't working before he moved away from Goshen, and still wasn't working when he came back after 35 years. He said it was a pleasure for him and the general public to see the water flow once again.

The fountain's most recent renovation started in 2012. The lamppost itself was no longer secure. But with the dedication of many volunteers, the fountain was restored to its original glory.

“And so with their expertise, generosity and community pride, we now have a beautifully completed project," said Maureen Quattrini, "the centerpiece of our beautiful village.”