The GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Monument located at Pine Hill Cemetery.
WESTFIELD – The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) voted unanimously April 21 to approve funding for the repair of various city monuments and prominent gravestones.
The CPC vote allocated Community Preservation Act funds for the repair of certain monuments determined by Veteran’s Graves Officer Gene H. Theroux to be in need of repairs.
$89,000 in CPA funds was approved to fund the repair of various city monuments and gravestones such as the General William Shepard and Civil War monuments on Park Square.
$39,500 was approved for the repair of monuments in gravestones specifically in Pine Hill Cemetery. The most notable monument in Pine Hill is the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) monument, which Theroux said is basically falling apart at the seams. At a previous CPC meeting April 8, Theroux said that the 14 smaller monuments surrounding the larger GAR stone will also be raised and leveled out.
Historical Commission Chair Cindy Gaylord said that the General Shepard Statue may cost about $30,000 to repair. The Civil War statue could cost about $15,000.
Theroux said that some of the plaques on certain monuments and statues throughout the city are so corroded that they cannot be read anymore.
William Shepard monument located at Elm and Broad Street.
The CPC had attempted to vote to approve the funding on April 8, but city Principal Planner Jay Vinskey said that the Historical Commission had to vote to consider the statues and monuments to be historically significant to the city. The Historical Commission did so on April 19, paving the way for the final CPC vote April 21.
