Located on the Eastern Main Road in the vicinity of the Coconut Grower’s Association and the Success Laventille Government Secondary School is the Laventille Drinking Trough, a previously functioning nineteenth century monument. The Laventille Drinking Trough dates to the mid-nineteenth century and represents an era in Trinidad and Tobago’s history where the main mode of land transportation was animal-drawn. This trough lies on one of three land-based points of entry—the only one in existence at the time of its construction in 1853—into the capital city of Port of Spain. It is one of three surviving troughs (including the Lapeyrouse Drinking Trough and the Queen’s Park Savannah Trough) in the city of Port of Spain and environs. Of the three it is the most ornate. The trough is easily accessible to persons entering or exiting the city of Port of Spain and is in plain view to all who travel on the Eastern Main Road. It can also be seen on the Priority Bus Route at a further distance.

The Laventille Drinking Trough comprises a shallow drinking compartment backed by a curved wall with two pillars at either end, each topped with pier caps. In the centre of the wall, directly above the drinking compartment, is a central pedestal inscribed with the letter “H” for Lord Harris and the year 1853 marking the year that the trough was completed. The trough was strategically positioned at the entryway to the city offering persons and animals journeying to the town replenishment after long and sometimes arduous travels. The Laventille Drinking Trough used water from the nearby Madame Monéreau Spring which was the main public source of water in the East Port of Spain area.

The entire monument is white with a dark green border highlighting its major features. Retaining only its ornamental value today, the trough is part of the legacy of Lord Harris during his tenure (1846-1854) as Governor of Trinidad and stands boldly in the immediate outskirts of Port of Spain in the face of a steady and continuous drive towards modernisation.

Address: Eastern Main Road

Town/City: Laventille

Region: Trinidad

Site Type: Cultural Heritage

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