Coordinates
North Blvd at Fourth St.
Near Old State Capitol.
The Irony of Temperance
The Hebe
Statue.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Erected 1914 • Restored 2022
Moral Alternative
Erected in 1914 by the Woman's Christian Temperance Union as a public drinking fountain. It was intended to offer cold water as a moral alternative to alcohol during the height of the prohibition movement.
Design: Life-size bronze recast of a work by Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.
Symbolic Contradiction
While intending to promote abstinence, the WCTU inadvertently chose Hebe—the Greek cupbearer to the gods. She is traditionally associated with serving nectar and ambrosia, often interpreted as wine, undercutting the statue's sober message.
Cupbearer to Olympus
Visitor Protocol
Restoration
Restored in April 2022. Cleaned of environmental grime and protected with a new wax coating.
Access Level
Free / 24 Hours. Located in a public downtown area.
Legacy: The Temperance Era
A historic misunderstanding preserved in bronze