Waterford's George Washington statue is 100 this year and will get gift of better backdrop - GoErie.com

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WATERFORD − George Washington Statue Park in Waterford will get a makeover for the statue's centennial this year.

The Fort LeBoeuf Historical Society will rededicate the George Washington statue on Aug. 27 and is raising money to spruce up the park for the occasion.

Plans include new landscaping.

"It's been a while since the park has been updated, and we want to give it a facelift," said Patrick Jenks, a member of the Historical Society committee to improve the park. "The park is a bookend at one end of town, and we want to beautify it for the town."

And for visitors, too.

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"So many people come through Waterford and stop to see the statue and have their picture taken with the statue. We want to give them a better backdrop," Jenks said.

Historians plan to replace plantings with native plants like those in an adjacent historical garden.

"We want the plantings in the park to be easier to maintain and to tie in with the 18th-century garden behind it, where the plants are plants that would have grown at all three forts," Jenks said.

Waterford in the 18th century was the site of French, British and American forts in turn.

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Also planned is a lecture area in the park.

"One of the long-term goals of the Historical Society is to offer more educational programming, including speakers and classes like our (flintknapping)," Jenks said.

A flintknapping group meets regularly at the society's Fort LeBoeuf Museum. Flintknapping is the craft of flaking or chipping stone to make gun flints and tools.

"We'd like to have weekend afternoon guest lectures at the park, where people aren't crammed into a small room and can enjoy being outside," Jenks said. "There could also be educational programs about the native plants."

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Washington Statue Park is located just south of the Eagle Hotel on High Street, or Route 19, in Waterford. The George Washington statue in the park commemorates Washington's visit to the French garrison at Fort LeBoeuf, at what today is Waterford, in December 1753. Washington carried a message to the French commander that his troops were trespassing in British territory.

The French didn't see it that way. The French and Indian War later settled the claim in favor of the British.

The Waterford statue depicts Washington at age 21 as a major in the Virginia militia, as he was at the time of his Fort LeBoeuf visit.

The life-sized bronze likeness cost $13,000 and was dedicated before a crowd of thousands on Aug. 30, 1922.

"Waterford has seen some very interesting events in her history, but nothing like this," the Erie Daily Times reported on the day of the dedication. "The roads leading into the historic borough were thronged with automobiles all forenoon. The entire county seemed to have declared a vacation and thronged the village for the ceremonies of the day."

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Dignitaries were led to the site in a parade of "flags unfurled, soldiers tramping the streets, martial music by excellent bands ... and with more thousands of people than historic Waterford ever saw before," according to the newspaper report.

The presentation address was by William Stevenson, president of the Pennsylvania Historical Association. The statue was accepted on behalf of the people of Waterford and Pennsylvania by Gov. William Sproul.

Count Charles de Chambrun, great-great-grandson of the Marquis de Lafayette, also participated in the ceremony.

Washington Statue Park improvements: How to help

• Fort LeBoeuf Historical Society has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise $5,000 for the park project.
• It's also selling Washington statue centennial commemorative medals available on the society's Facebook page; at the Fort LeBoeuf Museum, 55 High St.; and at the Fort LeBoeuf Center, 108 High St. Cost is $10 through April. The price will go up to $15 on May 1.
• Donations for the park improvements also are accepted by mail at: Fort LeBoeuf Historical Society, P.O. Box 622, Waterford, PA 16441. Note that the donation is for Washington Statue Park.

Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @ETNmyers.

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https://www.goerie.com/story/news/local/2022/03/26/waterford-george-washington-statue-park-receive-new-landscaping/65346070007/

2022-03-26 20:09:04Z
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