Monument to grace courthouse lawn
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The dedication and unveiling of this mini-park ‘ complete with a commemorative sculpture that resembles a monument ‘ will be held during the Bicentennial Celebration on July 5.
Though the appearance of the display won’t be revealed until the unveiling, some details of the commemorative sculpture, which will be a permanent fixture, can be disclosed.
The display will stand around 16 feet high including the base. The base will include an enclosure for a time capsule which will contain a selection of memorabilia from Warren County’s history, as well as items that represent our community as it exists today.
Officials say Warren County residents are encouraged to suggest ideas on what will be included in the time capsule and submit them to the office of County Executive John Pelham. The submissions will then go to a special Bicentennial Time Capsule Committee to be evaluated for inclusion in the capsule, which will be opened at a designated time in the future.
The art display plan is the work of the Warren County Bicentennial Executive Committee.
Once specifications for the proposed display were publicized, drawings and bids were submitted to the bicentennial committee by two businesses, architectural firm DIA Design Innovations, and Bruce Bennett’s Custom Marble & Design. Design Innovations was awarded the bid based on cost, originality and design.
County historian James A. Dillon says he feels the art display will pay tribute to Warren County’s rich heritage and history, as well as its longtime designation as the Nursery Capitol of the World. But Dillon notes the county’s dependence on trees began even before the nursery industry started.
‘From its earliest days, the population was dependent upon an agricultural economy,’ Dillon said. ‘The presence of many oak, chestnut, beech and other nut trees encouraged the raising of hogs, and the settlers coupled this with the breeding of horse stock and mules. Their success in these endeavors earned Warren County the reputation as a prime source of pork and mules for the great plantations further south.’
Committee member Larry Flatt says it was important to the committee that the Bicentennial Public Arts Display feature a motif that pays homage to Warren County’s agricultural roots, and he feels when it is unveiled everyone who sees it will agree its designers have accomplished that goal.
‘Warren County owes a lot, as many communities do, to Mother Earth and her resources,’ Flatt said. ‘In recognition of the bicentennial of Warren County, a public arts display has been commissioned with this in mind. This art display will stand as a public reminder of this community’s ties to its ‘roots’ and its aspirations for future generations. It will stand as a eloquent sculptural statement that will have a lasting impact on this community. It will not only be thought-provoking in both form and content, but it will also inform generations yet unborn of the foundations shaped in our past, and our common goals as we move confidently toward the future.’