Melrose Civil War Monuments Restoration Project

Sponsored by The City of Melrose

Melrose Veterans Advisory BoardThe MVMMS Operation Gettysburg Club

Civil War Monuments Restoration Projects Overview

• This project aims to restore Melrose Civil War monument to their original state of honor

• Restorations and upgrades focus on preserving history, increasing public awareness and restoring the memorials’ original beauty

• Funding for this project comes from the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School outreach trip and fundraiser Operation Gettysburg, connecting Melrose veterans and students with the Civil War

Project Goals

• Restore the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building (Memorial Hall) copper fixtures to present the monument in its original state

• Restore and improve Wyoming Cemetery Civil War monuments and graves– GAR Memorial– Hesseltine Medal of Honor Grave and Memorial– LTC Baldwin Grave and Memorial– Civil War graves stones and “soldier’s lot”

Restoring Memorial Hall

• The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building, known as Memorial Hall, is the largest civil war monument in the city

• Due to age and deterioration, the copper details on the front of the building no longer reflect the original design and have been removed

• This project aims to restore and replace the original copper fixings

Original DesignCopper wreath to be restored and replaced

Copper fixtures to be restored and replaced

Current StateCopper wreath to be restored and replaced

Copper fixtures to be restored and replaced

Memorial Hall Copper

Restoring Wyoming Cemetery• Wyoming cemetery is rich with Civil War history; however, the

monuments dedicated to this veteran era need restoration to properly honor the time period

• The highlight of this project is upgrading the GAR Memorial to help educate the public on its existence and purpose. A local Eagle Scout candidate, Jonathon Havey, will spearhead this portion.

• Secondary goals include restoring and bringing awareness to the Hesseltine and Baldwin memorials.

• Improving the state of the Civil War “soldier’s lot” will also demonstrate the City’s commitment to honoring its veterans from all veteran eras

Grand Army of the Republic Memorial

Historic Picture Current State

GAR Monument Restoration

Professional landscaping

border; filled with pea stone

Native Hosta plants

transplanted from cemetery

ground

Install granite markers with bronze GAR and Union grave markers

for perpetual flag display

Clean and point granite to restore

original look and feel

Grave Markers for Perpetual Flag Display

Union Marker GAR Marker

Hesseltine Grave Restoration

• Melrose Medal of Honor recipient Francis Hesseltine is laid to rest in Wyoming cemetery

• Although the tree surrounding the monument is beautiful, it does not allow for natural light

• This section of the project aims to clean the monument and improve its physical layout

Hesseltine Grave and Memorial

Grave shape replicates the MOH Age and shade degradation

Hesseltine Restoration Proposals

• Clean and point granite base and monument to restore honor

• Add signage to highlight the memorial and MOH recipient

• Professionally landscape the monument area by removing moss, stone and dead grass and replacing with edging and natural bark mulch

• Add perianal flowers better suited for low-light conditions to highlight the memorial and pay tribute to the MOH recipient

LTC Baldwin Memorial Restoration

• Lieutenant Col. Clark B. Baldwin commanded the 1st Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment at the Battle of Gettysburg

• He is buried in Wyoming cemetery. His grave is a likeness of a memorial to the 3rd Corps found on the Gettysburg Battlefield

• This section of the project will clean and restore this monument to bring greater public awareness

LTC Baldwin Memorial

Melrose, MA Gettysburg Battlefield

“Soldier’s Lot” Civil War Graves

• Graves dedicated to Civil War veterans surround the GAR monument at Wyoming Cemetery

• Due to age, many of the graves, no longer attended by loved ones, are off-center and exist in various condition levels

• This portion of the project aims to re-center these graves and fix/clean where possible

Soldier’s Lot Civil War Graves

Project Participants

Organizations• City of Melrose• Veterans Advisory Board• Operation Gettysburg• Memorial Hall• Wyoming Cemetery• Melrose DPW• Boy Scouts Troop #635• Local volunteers

Vendors• Quinlan Memorials• WM. Blanchard Co.• American Republic Const.

– DAV business

• Butler Architectural

Project Costs

Project Component• GAR Monument Stones• GAR Monument Markers• Eagle Scout Landscaping• Grave restoration/re-set• Monument Cleaning• Memorial Hall Copper

• Total

Dedicated Funds• $1250• $440• $560• $1050• $2250• $1250

• $6800

Project Funding and Information• Funds for these Civil War projects come from a fundraising initiative called

Operation Gettysburg

• The Operation Gettysburg Club is a group of Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School students taking 20+ Melrose veterans to the Gettysburg Battlefield National Park in May 2014

• A large component of Operation Gettysburg is restoring and bringing awareness to city Civil War monuments and soldiers

• As of March 2014, the club has raised enough money to cover a large portion of the restorations identified

• If the City of Melrose is able to obtain a MA150 grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, all identified projects will be completed by Memorial Day 2014.

Questions and Comments

• Inquiries and follow-up questions regarding this project can be directed to Ryan McLane, Melrose Veteran Services Director

• 781-979-4186 or rmclane@cityofmelrose.org