A Worcester, Mass., landmark, the American Sanitary Plumbing Museum, has officially reopened in its new home along the Charles River in Watertown. Carefully presented inside the confines of a 150-year old ice house, the Plumbing Museum combines the craftsmanship of past industry with the luxuries of modern, everyday life. 

The museum’s collection is comprised of claw-foot bathtubs, ornate water closets, and antique sinks. It also features a large library of turn-of-the-century trade magazines and newspapers, and a circa 1910 plumbing shop with original tools and equipment.

While the museum is entrusted to Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors of Greater Boston (PHCC), it lies on the property of the Watertown-based mechanical contracting firm J.C. Cannistraro, LLC.  John C. Cannistraro, Jr., the company president, has worked closely with the collection to create its new look.

“The museum tells the story of American industry,” explained Cannistraro. “With the help of the Artists for Humanity, Cambridge Seven Associates, and the PHCC of Greater Boston, this collection will bring a fun, educational, and historical offering to the Watertown community.”

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Jan. 15, where Cannistraro (pictured at right alongside PHCC Executive Director Hugh Kelleher, and original curators Russ and BJ Manoog) officially re-opened the museum.

The museum will be open for appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 AM until 2 PM. For more information, visit www.theplumbingmuseum.org.