WESTFIELD – Two of the missing faceplates from the Old Burying Grounds are back in the possession of the city’s Historical Commission after news reports of the “theft” triggered the memory of a former city employee.
Commissioner Walter Fogg, who reported the possible theft of three cast iron pieces a week ago, said Friday that he was given the two faceplates by city police Thursday and that he “currently has them in my possession. They’re sitting in a box in my kitchen.”
Fogg said the city’s Old Burying Grounds was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 2007.
The historical significance of the Old Burying Grounds is that the cemetery is the final resting place of soldiers who served in the French and Indian War, as well as the Revolutionary and Civil wars. It holds the remains of colonial pastors, poets and senators, farmers and, in general, the founders of Westfield. Many of the headstones bear family names that are recognized by residents today as the names of streets surrounding the downtown area.
Police Captain Michael McCabe said the three plates apparently fell to the ground in the 1990s and were picked up by a city employee who was mowing at the cemetery. That employee gave them to Walter Ayers, who was the Parks and Recreation Department director, for safekeeping. Ayers apparently put them in a safe place then forgot about them until local media printed reports, with photographs, earlier this week.
Ayers contacted the police who then took possession of the missing artifacts and notified the Historical Commission of the recovery.
McCabe said as part of the department’s investigation the post on which they were attached and the faceplates were examined.
“They is no indication that they were removed intentionally, no pry marks,” McCabe said. “There was, however, indication that they had fallen from the post some time, we don’t really know when, before they were reported missing by the Historical Commission.”
McCabe said that the post had been encompassed by shrubbery that was recently cut back, exposing the post and the fact that three of the 181-year-old faceplates were missing. McCabe said the bottom and middle faceplates were recovered, but the top artifact is still missing.
Fogg said that he will request the commission to adopt a formal policy to document artifacts found at historical locations in the city.
“There is a terrible lack of procedure to account for artifacts found at the Burying Grounds and other historical sites in the city,” Fogg said. “I’m going to seek a policy that when something is found , the employee documents the time and location of where that artifact was found and who it is given to for safekeeping, so there will be a record.”
“Everything associated with the Old Burying Grounds has historical significance and value, so we need to embrace the concept of accountability,” Fogg said.
The commission hopes that the third faceplate is eventually located,” Fogg said. “We’re confident that it’s just been misplaced.
