By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD – Plans to replace the two missing bronze plaques commemorating the Spanish American War at the site of the Hiker Monument are proceeding according to plan, according to John Leone of the Wakefield Center Neighborhood Association.
WCNA is funding the casting and installation of exact replicas of the original bronze plaques, at a cost of up to $5,000.
The original historic plaques were mounted on the two granite pillars on either side of the fountain just behind the Hiker statue. No one knows what became of the originals.
Skylight Studios of Woburn, a world-renowned sculpture design studio, has been retained by WCNA recreate the plaques. The new replica plaques will be based on a plaque at Everett’s Hiker monument which was identified as identical to Wakefield’s lost plaques.
As part of the project, WCNA member John Leone met Nick Batzell and Luciano Caruso from Skylight Studios at Everett’s Hiker Monument at Lt. Joseph Wehner Park on warm and sunny day last week. Batzell and Luciano were there to make a silicone mold they will use to cast two new bronze Spanish-American War plaques to replace those that are missing from Wakefield’s Hiker Monument installation.
“Everett’s City Clerk, Michael Matarazzo, and Planning Director, Tony Sousa, stopped by the site to introduce themselves and to watch some of the activity,” Leone said. “Wakefield’s Town Administrator, Stephen Maio and the WCNA appreciate the cooperation that Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria and his staff have provided in support of this project.”
Batzell and Caruso masked off the plaque and monument base and then applied a water-based reversible mold release. A silicone rubber mold material was then applied in several coats. Once the rubber dried they applied a plaster backing to keep the rubber in the correct shape. This support structure comprised plaster-soaked burlap and two reinforcing bars. After the plaster backing hardened, it and the rubber mold were removed from the plaque and the release agent was rinsed off with water.
“The mold making is a noninvasive process that does not change the appearance of the bronze in Everett,” Robert Shure, Skylight Studios founder and sculptor, said.
The WCNA’s goal is to have the new bronze plaques installed by Memorial Day in the spaces once occupied by the originals next to the Hiker statue.
The Hiker is a statue created by Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson. It commemorates the American soldiers who fought in the Spanish–American War, the Boxer Rebellion and the Philippine–American War. The first version of it was made for the University of Minnesota in 1906, but at least 50 copies were made, and were erected very widely across the United States.
The Wakefield Center Neighborhood Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the beautification and improvement of the center and adjacent parks in Wakefield. The WCNA works cooperatively with Wakefield’s municipal and educational offices, other non-profit groups and local businesses. It raises operating funds from donations and from its long-running popular crafts Festival by the Lake, taking place this year on Saturday, June 10 on the Lower Common at Lake Quannapowitt.
Other major WCNA projects and activities include the children’s playground on the south shore of Lake Quannapowitt; the Lower Common’s Bandstand restoration and maintenance; irrigation, lighting, historic railing replacement and benches at Veterans Memorial Common and lakeside; winter holiday lighting and spring egg hunt.
