Monument Park is downtown at the intersection of Main Street and Route 31, and was dedicated as a War Memorial in 1924. It bears the names of all Wilton residents who have served in wars starting with the French and Indian War and continuing until present times. Access to the park has always been difficult and dangerous, and its renovation and improvement was included in the Riverwalk Phase II project. For a long time, the juniper border had grown untamed and entwined with bittersweet vines, blocking the monuments from view. The only access was a perilous jump over curbing from state highway 31, and then navigating uneven ground to get a look at the beautiful monuments.
This project was completed in May, 2020 due to the joint sponsorship of the American Legion Bent-Burke Post 10, the Economic Development Team, the Wilton Main Street Association (WMSA), and included a generous $1,000 grant from Eversource. The project began with the removal of the junipers, thanks to volunteers Brendan Greeley and his Dad Randy (from Greeley Farms Landscaping) and others, including Elmer Santerre and tree expert Richard Herfurth from Lyndeborough and members of the Legion. Next came former road agent Chris Carter, who created a new entrance from the public parking area and a handicapped-accessible crushed gravel path spanning nearly 90 feet in front of the monuments.
The crushed gravel was donated by the Quinn Brothers and Granite State Concrete in Milford, and the topsoil by House By The Side Of The Road. The lawn area will be hydo-seeded thanks to Brad Smith of NH Hydroseed. A handicapped parking space has also been designated close to the entrance to the Park. With this work, the monuments are now clearly visible from the road.
WMSA donated a solar light for the flagpole, benches and a white lilac, and Alison Meltzer, President of WMSA will be working with a monument restoration expert to clean up the bronze plaques on the monuments and the granite. In the near future, an irrigation system will be installed, courtesy of Green Acres Irrigation in Lyndeborough.
We thank everyone involved for their efforts!
For more information:
Photographs of the project renovation
Historic Photos of the War Memorial (Monument Park)
Brief History of the War Memorial (Monument Park)