WESTFIELD – The Historical Commission discussed several projects to protect and preserve the city’s historical past and to make that history more accessible to residents and the general public.
Commissioner Walter Fogg said that efforts are underway to make repairs to the Mechanic Street gate of the Old Burying Grounds which date back to the city’s founding fathers. Fogg said the work will include moving some of the decorative pieces from the rear of the posts supporting the gate and installing those pieces on the side facing Mechanic Street.
“I would also like to have a specialist in antique wrought-iron access the gate to determine its age and what we have to do to preserve it,” Fogg said. “If the piece is as old as we think it has even greater historical significance.”
Fogg said the decorative gate could date from 1834 when the main entrance was moved from North Cherry Street, then called Main Street, to Mechanic Street.
The commission members also discussed options to display a bronze marker for the burial site of Major General William Shepard, who served in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Shay’s Rebellion. Fogg said the bronze plaque was found by Boy Scouts cleaning the Old Burying Grounds.
“This dates back to the turn of the century, about 1900, Fogg said. “The only reason it hasn’t disappeared like so many other markers is that it was thrown into the woods. It looks like it was hit at some time by a mower.”
Fogg said the plaque is attached to an iron rod which could be placed into cement to secure the bronze marker.
Commissioner Carly Bannish is developing on-line self guided tours of the significant historical places in the city. Bannish said that the initial effort will be to locate access information to that site along the Columbia Greenway.
“We’d like to get people to come off the rail trail and come downtown, so maybe putting information on how to access the self-guided tour could be put on a plaque along the trail,” Bannish said. “I hope to do other self guided tours for the Old Burying Grounds, historical markers, churches and buildings.
Commission members suggested to Bannish that the tours begin at the Westfield Athenaeum where supporting information could be made available and where people interested in the Old Burying Ground self-guided tour would have access to the gate key.
