Known but unknown, visible yet unseen, interpreted but unintelligible, how do the events of the past intersect with the daily lives of those who live here and contribute to its sense of place?
What exists in the landscape, why is it there, and who does it commemorate?
As with most projects, this initiative has continued to evolve. As a preliminary list was compiled it became apparent that it was just that, preliminary. And once we began researching individual monuments, memorials, and markers it became clear that the ‘back story’ of how they were conceived, implemented, dedicated and, at times, reconsidered, was far more complicated and compelling than we had imagined.
What began as a framework for exploring collective memory, memorialization, and civic and social engagement in the region through its Revolutionary War monuments, markers and memorials has grown in scope to raise fundamental questions about how the seminal events of the past are remembered. As the region plans for the country’s semiquincentennial, it is our hope that this work will inform future conversations and initiatives.
