HARDWICK – Area residents may have taken note of construction recently happening around the memorial fountain.
Last week, members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Saint John de Crevecoeur Chapter, worked to create a Never Forget Garden in the Memorial Park fountain.
The fountain posed a number of dilemmas, which Town Manager David Upson outlined. First, it cannot function in the winter time, requiring the water to be pumped and drained once a year. “It was leaking, because it’s just like epoxy or whatever,” he said, “so it was kind of hard to deal with. And then when we got it going, people would just vandalize it. Fill the park full of soap suds.”
photo by Paul Fixx
A collaborative effort, Upson shared how the project began and why.
“Scott Merrill with the Freemasons reached out to me probably a year or so ago inquiring about the fountain. They had offered to fund the repair and to get the fountain back in order, and then at the same time, the DAR was like, we want to do a garden. They identified the park, and then they kind of said “well what’s going on with the fountain?,” Upson said.
They began having conversations, with Upson bringing it up at regular select board meetings. But first, they had to solve the question, flower bed or fountain?
“I guess originally that was built for a flower garden. Then the people that built it for the flowers came and went, got older, and then it wasn’t being taken care of, so they cleared it out and did a fountain.”
Upson says amid these conversations with community organizations, the Hill family had reached out. “That got me into the history of it.” The fountain, dedicated to William (Bill) Hill, serves as the focal point for even more local family history. Notably, to former town manager Dan Hill, Bill’s son. “I guess Dan’s mother is the one who was in the group that built the fountain,” said Upson.
The DAR has since paid for the fountain to be repointed. For those unfamiliar with masonry terms, to repoint means to reseal with concrete. Upson then revealed yet another local connection. “The person that re-pointed it was actually the son of the person who built it.”
Jeannine Young of the DAR provided more background. “Robbie Reil from Craftsbury was hired to do the masonry work. His father, Raymond Reil, and Steve Hill built the fountain. Raymond Reil also built the Hardwick Academy bell tower.”
As explained by the town manager, three entities are responsible for the Memorial Park; the town of Hardwick, the American Legion and Hardwick Rescue. The DAR will be responsible for the maintenance of the flower bed. Young says the potting mix is still needed as the early snow has put a halt to further work for this fall. Planting won’t start until spring.
The project was the culmination of several local names and organizations collaborating. “Gravel Construction of Hardwick graciously donated the gravel base and sand layer, as well as the labor to prepare it for the potting mix. Kathryn’s Garden in Walden donated some garden fabric. Seth Robillard of 802 Logging in Craftsbury has pledged to donate the compost when we are ready for it. Rachel Kane of Summersweet Garden Nursery in East Hardwick is also offering advice for the garden.”
Young also mentioned Dennis Pudvah of the Sons of the American Legion, raised the $1,500 to do the masonry work and install the plaque with pledges from the Sons of the American Legion, Hardwick Legion Auxiliary and Hardwick Legion Post No. 7.
Legion Auxiliary and the Caspian Lake Lodge # 87 F & AM Masonic Order also gave the DAR Chapter donations toward the Never Forget Garden.
Upson agreed it’s been a collaborative process from start to finish, with the park at the center. “We all kind of understand that we’re all kind of included in any decisions in the park.”
Raymonda Parchment is a Hardwick Gazette reporter. She recently graduated from Vermont State University - Castleton with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is a strong supporter of freedom of speech, and the right to publish information, opinions, and ideas without censorship or restraint. She is a lifelong lover of the written word, and is excited to join the team as a staff member.
