Question:
Here is a picture of all three pieces together. If it’s a water cooler, what’s the bottom piece for? It looks more like it would hold a candle or sterno or some sort of heating element. Thanks for your input! Ron

Answer:
Yes, this is a Village Green water cooler with cover and stand as discussed in a post earlier this week. The stand is there to raise the cooler up so a cup can be placed under the spigot. And you are correct in stating the stand looks like it would hold a candle or other warming unit. In fact this piece was originally designed as a warmer and was made in two sizes, large and small. The warmers were made to be used with pieces such as the teapot, beverage server, and bean pot. When the need for a water cooler stand arose, Red Wing offered the large size warmer rather than create an entirely new piece for that purpose. Brochures from the 1960s show a Village Green water cooler on a large warmer.

Larry