Civil War Monument (1867)
In 1866 a town committee made up of John A. Hawes, Dr. George Atwood, James V. Cox, Job C. Tripp and George F. Tripp was appointed to build a monument to the soldiers who had died during the Civil War. A year later Town Meeting allocated $1,700 and architect George F. Meacham was selected to create the monument. At no additional cost, the architect made the monument three feet taller than his contract specified.
On the first Memorial Day ordered by General John Logan, Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, May 30,1868, townspeople and veterans gathered at this monument to honor the fallen servicemen. That tradition has been followed every Memorial Day since then.
