WAKEFIELD — At the 2023 spring Town Meeting, voters approved the annual capital improvement article which included funding for the repair and rehabilitation of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on the Upper Common. The Department of Public Works solicited requests for proposal, and after receiving interest from multiple firms across North America and Canada, Daedalus Inc. from Watertown was awarded a contract to conduct repairs of the monument.
Created by artist and Civil War Veteran Melzar Hunt Mosman, the monument was unveiled to the Town on June 17, 1902 with great fanfare. According to the Wakefield Historical Society, it “was dedicated to the memory of the men who fought and died in the Civil War, but, in the four figures (naval, infantry, artillery, and cavalry) surrounding the column, it has come to symbolize the generations of men and women from this town who have served their country in the armed services.”
The 60-foot granite monument has stood tall and proud for 121 years, though it has sustained damage during that time. Over the next year, the monument will be cleaned and repaired to restore it back to its original condition. This includes reconstruction of damaged elements to the lower military figures, repairs and refinishing of the iron fencing, and cleaning and treatment of the two lower cannons. This project will be taking place over the next year with an anticipated completion in late fall 2024.
Learn more about the monument and its dedication celebration from the Wakefield Historical Society at wakefieldhistory.org.
