Wallace Fountains & John Adam's Home

Several times as we have been walking around in neighborhoods, we have seen these very interesting, dark green statue like objects with water trickling down the center. After doing some research we discovered that they are officially Wallace Fountains. After the Franco-Prussian War which ended in 1871 there was almost no clean drinking water for the people of Paris. A wealthy British philanthropist financed the installation of 50 of these fountains in each section of Paris so that people could have pure drinking water.

The first fountains were nicknamed the “Brewery of the Four Women” because it had four women in a circle holding up the top of the fountain. These women were draped in scanty tunics which showed a knee. Between the women was a shelf like connection which had a frogs mouth with a cup attached. You were almost invited to take the cup and catch a drink of the water flowing down from the top of the fountain (and behind the women).

These fountains were so popular and necessary that more than 100 more copies have been built and almost all of them are still in use. Most are located in a small park or city square. While I would hesitate to drink from the fountain, our three grandchildren had a great time on a warm day splashing the water and rebaptising each other.

Near the fountain in northwest Paris that we last visited, we also saw the residence of John Adams and John Quincy Adams when they lived here in Paris as diplomats. John Adams first came to Paris in 1778 to negotiate the Treaty of Paris which was signed in September of 1783. This officially ended the Revolutionary War. Young John Quincy had been only 10 when he came with his father to France, but he had been enrolled in a French school. He learned French very well and he used it quite often when he was older as it was the official language of diplomacy at that time. The residence is now doctor’s offices.