Nowadays, visitors, residents and those passing through on their way to the market town of Fismes or onto Paris all pass in front of what is called the Lavoir Américain. Many wonder how this incongruous monument came to be and why is there an American Eagle perched on the top.

This brick and stone edifice was erected in memory of William Muir Russel a young American pilot who was shot down August 11 1918 during aerial maneuvers over Courville. The village residents buried him in the local cemetery.

In February 1920, William Muir Russel’s heartbroken father, was on his way to Courville to collect the remains of his son. Taken ill in a New York hotel, he wrote his last will and testament leaving an important sum, in memory of his son, for the village of Courville. Note that the village also received la Croix de Guerre for a having been particularly devastated during the war.

Having read the father’s wishes for a fountain or some other type of improvement, the town council decided to construct an adduction system to bring water to the village. The sources of water were over a kilometer away. Pipes were laid and a washing station and fountain were constructed, and dedicated in 1926.

This gift, much appreciated by the townspeople who up to that time had never had running water, contributed immensely to reviving village life. Symbol of the unity and friendship of the French and American people, the « lavoir américain » is also a monument to a tragic period and the many lives lost, both civilian and military, both French and American.