Description

The drinking fountain is actually a natural mineral spring for which Saratoga Springs, New York, has been renowned since the late 1700s. The springs, which are believed to have healing powers, are found all over town and have varied and distinct tastes; some offer clear, fresh water; others are salty, while many taste strongly of a certain mineral, such as sodium bicarbonate. Hewit taught interior decoration and mechanical drawing at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs from 1930 to 1933. She spent the summers of 1929 through 1932 working toward her master’s degree at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York City. Skidmore had longstanding connections with Columbia University and often hired faculty who were working on graduate degrees there.