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Generations of canine visitors to Boston’s Charles River Esplanade
once headed straight for the Lotta Fountain—and generations of dog
owners were
grateful for the resource. The six-foot granite fountain by
sculptor Katherine Lane Weems (1899-1989) was constructed in 1939 in the name of entertainer and philanthropist Lotta Crabtree, for the
benefit of thirsty dogs. A victim of neglect, the memorial has not functioned as a fountain for many years.
The fountain was named for its benefactor, Charlotte “Lotta” Crabtree, a beloved child star—the Shirley Temple of her day—Broadway performer, and passionate animal lover. Born in 1847, Lotta and her mother amassed a fortune in real estate, buying up property in the cities they visited during Lotta’s thespian tours of duty.
The second largest taxpayer in Boston at the time of her death in 1924, Lotta Crabtree left $4 million in trusts for several needy causes including the Lotta Dumb Animal Fund. In 1939 the trustees carried out a provision in the will to erect a drinking fountain in Boston for “men, horses, birds, and dogs,” choosing an Esplanade site near Embankment Road.
Sculptor Katherine Lane Weems modeled the dog sitting atop the fountain after her own pet. The dog looks down the granite pedestal to the cat spout at the base—a spout that no longer delivers water into the fountain’s basin. The cat is missing half its face, and the dog has lost part of an ear.
Displaced by the construction of Storrow Drive, the Lotta Fountain is now located about halfway between Berkeley and Clarendon Streets, on the Storrow Drive side of the lagoon.
The Esplanade Association seeks to refurbish this work by an important local sculptor and to repair the waterworks so that canine visitors to the Esplanade once again can find refreshment on a hot summer’s day.
The Esplanade Association must raise at least $200,000 to restore the beauty and utility of the fountain—a tribute to two remarkable women.
Photo - Header ©2003 Jeryl Oristaglio. Other photos, in order of position: (1) Trinidad Rodriguez (2) Michael Maria
The Esplanade Association
10 Derne Street
Boston, MA 02114
617.227.0365
