Adams Town Common Honors Women’s Rights Activist Susan B. Anthony
The Town of Adams, MA recently unveiled a new statue of civil rights activist Susan B. Anthony with keynote speaker Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito leading the ceremony. The unveiling celebrated the suffragette’s ties to the community as well as the completely redesigned town common.
The statue of Susan B. Anthony, created by sculptor Brian Hanlon, being installed.
Tighe & Bond worked with the Town’s Office of Community Development and Suffrage Centennial Celebration Committee on this project. The committee was created to organize a 2020 celebration to both mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s passing (giving women the right to vote) and the 200th birthday of Adams native Susan B. Anthony. When the committee elected to honor the activist with a bronze statue, the Town decided they also needed to upgrade the three-quarter-acre park; the first changes to the town common in 35 years. While the pandemic delayed the public celebrations, the team pressed on with the project.
Tighe & Bond designed the town common to feature a new gazebo that is period appropriate to Anthony’s lifetime. Americans with Disabilities Act compliance considerations ensured all residents can enjoy the town common and safer walking paths.
The new, 8-foot statue of Anthony is the centerpiece of the town common, depicting her both as the young girl who lived out her childhood in Adams and as the activist known throughout history. The statue sits on a brick paver plaza with a granite seat wall and benches around the statue where residents can sit. A new, live conifer has been planted to be the Town’s holiday tree.
A look at the finished gazebo at the statue unveiling in June 2021.
Senior Project Manager Brandee Nelson of Tighe & Bond notes the importance of this historic project for the Town.
“This upgraded Town Common provides residents a fun, accessible, and safe space they have been missing for decades. People can enjoy their time in the heart of Adams while also honoring the legacy of one of their most revered residents,” said Nelson.
In addition to engineering the project, Tighe & Bond supported town officials in obtaining a grant from Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities Grant Program (PARC).