Eccentric Cogswell Temperance Statue In Vernon Is Gone ... Again

VERNON, CT — The famed — and slightly strange — Cogswell statue in Vernon's Central Park that dates back to the 1880s is gone, but town officials are saying it could return as a new and improved version.

The statue's base was bare Monday morning and Mr. Cogswell was clearly missing in action. Patch inquired as to what happened and Town Administrator Michael Purcaro said it is all legit and no statue-napping had taken place. It is being examined over the latest bout with deterioration. The plaster-like material can either be restored or a new and improved version could take its place, Purcaro said.

The statue has a bit of a cult following and is mentioned in several lists about weird places to see in Connecticut.

The statue features not only Mr. Cogswell, but a fountain that once supplied fresh water to residents. Henry Cogswell was a millionaire dentist, temperance crusader and philanthropist. He pledged to erect a fountain for every 100 saloons across the country. The original monument sent to Rockville was topped with a life-sized statue of Cogswell holding a glass of water in one hand and a copy of the Temperance Pledge in the other. The first Cogswell statue was installed in Rockville in 1883 in honor of Henry Cogswell’s cousin, William Cogswell, a local builder, but was donated to a scrap metal drive during World War II.

The replica of the Dr. Henry Daniel Cogswell Fountain, cast on a plaster-like material, replaced it in 2005 after an absence of nearly six decades. It has been refurbished several times over the years. The last time was in 2013.