{"nrhp_refnum":"77000197","name":"Snow Fountain and Clock","other_names":["Winthrop Square Fountain"],"category":"object","location":{"address":"N. Main and E. Main Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Brockton","county":"Plymouth County","state":"MA","lat":42.095963210000036,"lon":-71.01914607199996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1977-07-25","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A combined public drinking fountain, horse trough, dog trough and four-faced clock standing in Winthrop Square at North and East Main Streets in Brockton, Massachusetts. The clock was built by E. Howard Clock Company and erected in 1902.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an important local landmark and an example of civic munificence by a prominent Brockton citizen. It was given to the city in 1902 by shoe manufacturer George G. Snow. Residents, horses and dogs all used it, and when the clock stopped working in 1950 the city put up a replacement clock nearby.","narrative":"Standing at the junction of North and East Main Streets in Brockton, the Snow Fountain and Clock combines a granite horse trough, a small drinking fountain with dog troughs, and a tall four-faced clock. The south side is a semicircular trough about twelve feet across, now used as a planter, while three granite steps on the north side lead to the drinking basin. Above rises a fluted square column topped by clock faces with raised bronze numerals and incandescent bulbs concealed in decorative shields and along the finial. E. Howard Clock Company built the clock, which was erected in 1902 and restored in 1976. Shoe manufacturer George G. Snow presented it to the city, and it quickly became a local landmark. When the clock failed in 1950, the city installed a modern replacement on a nearby building so travelers could still check the time. Its recognition rests on its role as a landmark and as an example of civic generosity.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Clock: E. Howard & Company; fountain: Milnes & Chalvers, Cont.","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Clock refurbished and restored in 1976 and working again; the horse trough is now used as a planter and the surface around the base is asphalt. Owned by the City of Brockton.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:53.420007-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/60/7966/63796660/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/77000197.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/77000197/23546ef887-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/77000197/23546ef887-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"John Phelan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Snow_Fountain_and_Clock,_Brockton_MA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">John Phelan</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Snow_Fountain_and_Clock,_Brockton_MA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63796660","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Fountain_and_Clock","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7548231"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/plymouth-county/snow-fountain-and-clock-77000197/"}