Rebecca at the Well
Originally uploaded by sandybobvt.

At the center of all the [tag]Block Island[/tag] excitement is a gorgeous statue of [tag]Rebecca[/tag], forming a roundabout on [tag]Water Street[/tag]. I pass by this statue every day, but this morning [tag]Kevin Reeves[/tag] pointed me towards a bit of the statue’s history.

According to [tag]blockislandguide.com[/tag]:

Named for the biblical [tag]Rebekah[/tag]-at-the-well, B.I.’s “Rebecca” stands proudly at the intersection of four Old Harbor roads. She was erected in 1896 by the local [tag]Women’s Christian Temperance Movement[/tag], which hoped to curb the consumption of alcohol on Block Island. Ironically, restoration experts have concluded that Rebecca is in fact [tag]Hebe[/tag], cupbearer to the Gods, which may explain why consumption of alcohol is in such prevelance on BI.

Hebe, as it turns out, is the Greek goddess of youth and the girl who served nectar and [tag]ambrosia[/tag] to the gods. So let’s see.. goddess of [tag]young female bar waitress[/tag]es? Definitely a block island fixture.