Then & Now: WWII Memorial, Indian Hill Road
The World War II memorial on Indian Hill Road has been an important part of the neighborhood since Norton Co. commissioned it to recognize soldiers who died in the war.
The first dedication was Oct. 28, 1945.
The stone-block structure, about 7 feet high, has a quiet presence, at the center of a simple triangle of land bordered by Indian Hill, Marconi and Watt roads. It is across the street from the former Indian Hill Elementary School.
The grounds and memorial are not ornate; it's the meaning that's important.
Over the years, neighbors have been informal keepers of the memorial, tending to the grounds when needed.
A plaque on the face of the memorial — not part of the original construction — lists more than 100 names in the Indian Hill Honor Roll, all those who served in World War II. Three were killed in action.
A rededication of the memorial was held on Oct. 13, 2007. The ceremony followed years of uncertainty, and a bit of contention, over the spot.
At issue was the status of the memorial and the 13,300-square-foot triangular plot on which it sat. It was privately owned, not public, although for decades most people assumed it was owned by the city, as is traditionally the case with memorials and monuments.
The matter surfaced in 1987 when Salter Secretarial School, which had taken over the old elementary school, began having students park on the grass parcel that included the memorial. The private school produced documents that proved the land was privately owned. That revelation surprised city police officers, who were summoned by neighbors to crack down on the parking. It also confused city parks officials, who years earlier responded to neighbors' complaints by stepping up maintenance of the land.
Uncertainty over the memorial and the small parcel hung in the air in the years that followed. Neighbors continued to care for the land. Student parking remained a point of contention.
The matter came to a head in 2007. The owner of the old school, no longer home to the Salter Secretarial School, told neighbors to stay off the plot that contained the memorial. He owned that land, too.
Neighbors were upset that he didn't maintain the memorial parcel. At one point, after someone trespassed and spruced up the area round the memorial, the enraged owner undid the work, ripping out flowers.
The matter became a campaign issue during the run-up to the 2007 municipal election. Candidates for the District 1 seat on the City Council, including incumbent Joffrey A. Smith, assured Indian Hill residents they would address the memorial issue.
In June, months before the preliminary election, Smith announced that the city and property owner had come to an agreement. The parcel would be sold to the city for $20,000. The site was added to the city's long list of war memorials.
Neighbors continue to keep an eye on the parcel, sprucing it up as needed, in between visits from city parks workers.
Last week Then & Now: F.A. Easton's, downtown Worcester
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This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Then & Now: WWII Memorial, Indian Hill Road
