A Place of Invention
This fountain was installed during the creation of Mount Vernon Place so that those wealthy enough to own wooden teeth could rinse and wash them in the park. These teeth cleaners were common all over America in the 1800s. At the time, it was thought to be hygienic to rinse your fake teeth at least once a month. It also provided an opportunity for those fortunate few to flaunt their material wealth. Thanks to dental improvements in the late 1800s, people no longer needed to clean their teeth in the fountains and the fountains became drinking fountains. This, of course, is the invention of the first water fountain. After visiting the park in 1852, President Millard Fillmore had water fountains installed in the White House.
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Marker can be reached from West Mount Vernon Place, in the median.
Courtesy hmdb.org
