Town to restore, display historic Civil War plaques

By Scott Merzbach
Staff Writer

Published on August 08, 2008

Memorial plaques recognizing more than 200 Amherst residents who fought in the Civil War, including several black soldiers who were part of the famous 54th Regiment, will be displayed at the Town Hall in time for the town's 250th anniversary.

The half dozen marble tablets, which each measure 56 inches by 75 inches and weigh about 800 pounds, have been in storage for a decade since the mid-1990s renovation of Town Hall.

Now, Town Manager Larry Shaffer said he will be seeking money from the Community Preservation Act account at the fall Town Meeting for the cleaning and preserving of the tablets. A conservator has estimated that to crate, ship and clean the plaques at an eastern Massachusetts location will cost $25,000. Additional money will be needed for their proper installation. The Historical Commission, Shaffer said, has already given its unanimous support for pursuing the project.

All of the plaques, commissioned in 1893 by the local Grand Army of the Republic post and for many years mounted on the wall in the basement of Town Hall, have been stored in protective cases at the Ruxton gravel pit in North Amherst. The restoration would include removing the yellow tint that has developed over time and bringing back the bright white surface.

Shaffer said his idea is that the tablets could be place in the first floor lobby at Town Hall, covered in Plexiglas to protect them viewers. The tablets are considered fragile and susceptible to vandalism.

Shaffer's plan is not the first in recent years to get the memorials back in the public eye, particularly because of their historical importance in recognizing black soldiers, as well as about 300 other Amherst soldiers whose surnames remain prominent in the community.

The late Amherst resident Dudley Bridges, in 2000, proposed getting the plaques back in a visible location.

In 2001, the Select Board considered putting the tablets in front of Town Hall. And two years ago, Donna Smith-Jones, a local hair salon owner, discussed their importance and was involved in plans to give the plaques greater prominence.

"These men are true heroes who sacrificed for their country and deserve to be honored and respected for their efforts," Smith-Jones said.

The 54th regiment was the subject of the 1989 motion picture "Glory," starring Denzel Washington and Matthew Broderick. Their fame came following a July 18, 1863 assault on Fort Wagner near Charleston, S.C., where more than 100 men lost their lives.