Connecticut's Civil War Monuments
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| Chester | CHESTER PLAQUE Chester Meetinghouse Erected: 1884 Historical Significance CHESTER PLAQUE is significant historically because it is a tangible symbol of honor and respect paid by the Chester community to its sons who served in the Civil War. Little information has come to hand regarding the origin of the plaque, how it happened to be commissioned, who paid for it, who cast it, etc. The fact that it was installed in the Town Hall indicates that the project had townwide support. Taken literally, the lettering indicates that the plaque was an official town expenditure. The plaque is within a building constructed in 1793 as the Second Congregational Meetinghouse. It was sold to the town in 1846. The conversion to town hall/auditorium use came in the late 1800s. The gallery and stage date from that conversion, raising the question of whether the plaque was relocated at the time. Artistic Significance CHESTER PLAQUE is significant artistically because it is an unusually large and well-preserved example of a tablet listing names of those who served in the Civil War. Due to its protected indoor location, it has suffered little damage from aging. Just what finish was applied to the bronze surface is uncertain; the bright color of the Shield of the United States suggests that it received special attention in the form of bronze paint. Description CHESTER PLAQUE hangs on the wall of the balcony in the auditorium of the Old Town Hall, which was formerly known as the Chester Meetinghouse. It is dedicated to all men from Chester who served in the war. Positioned to the left (north) of the proscenium arch, the plaque has a wooden frame in the form of a cavetto molding, with "natural" varnished finish. In addition to the lettering recorded below, the plaque bears a central raised Shield of the United States, which features crossed cannon, flags, and eagle. The eagle may be painted with bronze paint. Lettering THE TOWN OF CHESTER HONORING THE PATRIOTISM OF HER SONS WHO SERVED IN THE ARMY AND NAVY OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION HAS ERECTED THIS TABLET INSCRIBED WITH THEIR NAMES IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF THEIR SERVICE 1884 (19 names with units) DIED IN SERVICE (5 names with units) Source Robert J. Miceli, Chester Municipal Historian, letter, June 17, 1994. |
