The Town of Weymouth will receive a $9,250 state grant to help restore the Veterans’ Memorial Wall in its historic civic center district. The award was issued by the Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services with funding approved in the state’s FY2014 budget. The purpose of this grant program is to preserve war memorials within the Commonwealth which are significant to the history of the country, the state, and its municipalities.
“The importance of the Memorial Wall as a focal point for both veteran and residential activities in the town cannot be overstated,” says Weymouth Veterans’ Services Director, George Pontes. “The improvements undertaken with the aid of this grant will be an important step in rehabilitating the entire structure.”
Through the FY14 War Memorial Grant program, the state’s Department of Veterans’ Services offered matching funds up to $10,000 to municipalities and non-profit organizations to renovate, rehabilitate, preserve, or enhance objects that commemorate U.S. veterans and U.S. military history. Applications were evaluated based on a number of factors including the level of historical significance of the property, the potential for loss or destruction from exposure to the elements, and the potential for public use and interest in the site.
Find out what's happening in Weymouthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“The Veterans’ Memorial Wall is a critically important, historic monument in this community,” says Weymouth’s Mayor, Susan Kay. “The wall is a unique public asset that is beloved by our residents. It has stood as a dignified and endearing tribute to Weymouth’s veterans for more than 80 years, and I am committed to preserving the memorial for the benefit of future generations.”
The Veterans’ Memorial Wall commemorates all veterans who served in times of conflict. It is the only memorial in Weymouth to list the names of all veterans dating as far back as the French and Indian War and as current as possible through present day. Dedicated in 1930, the memorial wall is the visual centerpiece of the town’s civic center and provides a ceremonial stage for the Lieutenant Ralph Talbot Amphitheater. In 1992, the civic center and memorial wall were added to the National Register of Historic Places. The site is used year round for public ceremonies and events, including the Great Pumpkin Give-a-Wey, the summer concert and movie series, and the town’s Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies.
Find out what's happening in Weymouthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Over the past 15 years, the Town has completed a number of improvements to make the Veterans’ Memorial Wall more accessible, inviting, and visually attractive to the community. Plans are currently underway for a comprehensive restoration of the structure, with the firm McKinnell, McKinnell & Taylor providing design services over the summer. The War Memorial Grant will fund immediate improvements to the memorial wall’s wooden doors. They will be replaced with Eskidge-style double doors in a bronze finish, accenting the structure’s existing iron work and bronze tablets. Because portions of the precast masonry around the doorway have begun to fail, theses elements will also be rebuilt to create a viable weather proof storage area inside the wall as well as provide a crisp backdrop to events held at the amphitheatre.
Mayor Kay will match the state grant with revenues from Weymouth’s local options meals tax. It is anticipated that the door replacement project will be completed before the town’s Veterans Day ceremony in November.