The Wizard of Oz - A wonderful tale for children, it has everything a parent could wish for or does…read moreit, as a kid we never missed an opportunity to watch the original 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz, starring young Judy Garland - I was surprised to see this sculptor included so many elements including Jack Pumpkinhead, the tornado with the flying farmhouse, etc. In my opinion this is a five minute fly by, and by no means a bucket list item but it does exist. It's simply a display of art embedded in a stone clad wall at the back entrance to the public library and its well done...

At the rear entrance of the Enfield public library is a very cool 43" by 27" by 3" panel sculpture…read moreof a child sitting outside on the ground, holding a book in both hands while reading. In the field where the child sits, I saw a dozen characters from the Wizard of Oz walking on a curved brick road. I guess we are reading his/her mind and watching how reading brings imagination to life. The work was a gift from sculptor Janice Loomis to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Enfield Library. You can identify Dorothy, her dog Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion in the front. In the top left corner is the Wicked Witch of the West riding a broom, the Emerald City, a hot air balloon, and a tornado. One character I didn't recognize at all (at least from the movie, since I didn't read the book) - it was someone with a pumpkin on his head wearing a scarf. I researched the gent and found out his name is "Jack Pumpkinhead" - and he was a character in some of Frank Baum's fourteen full-length Oz books.

Ever hear of Woodward and Saffery? They are major players in the history of Enfield…read more They were surveyors who in 1642 marked the boundary line between Connecticut and Massachusetts. Well, oopsie ! Somehow they made a mistake and messed up the measurement. Maybe they had drank too much grog or something. Fast forward 100 years later, to the year 1749. That's when Enfield corrected their shoddy measurement by seceding from Massachusetts and rightfully joined Connecticut. This marker also gets mega-props for some very cool Indian names. Want an example? Sure, how about Nottatuck? Don't forget Asnuntuck? How about Umquatuck. And of course, Nip 'n Tuck. (Nah just kidding). This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, with the familiar white lettering on a blue background. The marker dates to 1976 and is in very good shape. It's located on Route 5 at 1294 Enfield Street, right in front of the Enfield Historical Museum at Enfield's Old Town Hall. All in all, this is a pretty nice marker.

The Enfield Town Green is a bonanza for those that appreciate Veterans monuments. There are three…read morein pretty close proximity of each other. The newest monument was dedicated in 2012 and it honors the broad spectrum of vets from all branches of the service. It isn't dedicated to those of any specific war, so it really honors all vets across the centuries of American history. It's a gorgeous monument made of high-gloss reflective black granite. It consists of eight columns of variable heights that form a sweeping arc. The six middle columns honor a different branch of the armed forces: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine. Each panel carries the respective etched logo and motto for the branch it represents. The two end columns contain these inscriptions. Left Column: "This space is dedicated to the veterans of our community who served the nation in time of danger." Right column: "Some are with us still - Many have gone on ahead - Often they responded to a whisper from within - Others rallied to the call - All gave some - Some gave all." It's an absolutely beautiful monument.

This monument was a joy to conceive. The committee of town folks who worked on it were motivated by…read morea sincere respect for veterans. Some aspects of the design of the monument need to be pointed out. The height of the columns reflect the height of an average person. The sloping tops of the columns and the semi arc of their placement represent "embracing arms". When you stand front and center you will see your reflection in the six major columns. This feature allows the observer to be part of the monument. The overall concept was for the monument to be all inclusive and for all time. The words I wrote for the two flanking columns do not mention a gender, place, time or specific town. As the observer reads the inscription in the "here and now" they realize the inclusiveness of the overall design.

The Enfield Town Green gets very high marks for honoring the City's veterans. It has three…read morememorials in pretty close proximity to each other. Enfield's World War II memorial is a massive 2-sided Honor Roll dedicated to the men and women who enlisted from Enfield to serve in World War II in all branches of the armed forces. I did a rough count of the names by counting how many names were in each column, then multiplying by the number of columns. I came up with 2160 names. It's a light gray stone monument with three slabs and four columns engraved with the names on both sides. There is a landscaped arc with flowers and small flags on one side and a series of seven flagpoles on the other side. The area also has benches, flower displays, and a memorial wreath. It was dedicated in May 2003

The Town Green in front of Enfield City Hall has a lot going on. There are half a dozen veterans…read moremonuments and this very striking gazebo, known as the Joseph E. O'Connor Gazebo. The gazebo was built in 1984 and was named after Joseph O'Connor, Enfield's mayor from 1981-1985 In many ways, it's a typical gazebo of the kind you've seen a dozen times. It has a brick base, it has white posts and a white railing, it has a steeply pitched octagonal coned wood roof and a white cupola. But what separates this gazebo from its gazebo brothers and sisters is its copper weathervane. Because standing guard on top of this huge cupola is a Revolutionary War drummer perched on a musket! Game, set, match..

The Armed Services Memorial is located directly in front of City Hall on the Town Green…read more It consists of three stone monuments dedicated to the veterans of four wars. One of the wars has not yet been concluded. The left monument is dedicated to the World War II vets from 1941-1946. It reads: "To the memory of those who served in World War II on land - on sea - in the air 1941-1946 Those who paid the supreme sacrifice (56 names inscribed) The right monument reads: To the memory of those who served In the Korean Conflict 1950 -1955 In the Vietnam War 1964-1975 Those who paid the supreme sacrifice ( 4 names inscribed for each war) The Center monument is taller than the others. It has an American Eagle on the top. The engraving reads: This memorial erected in honor of The men and women of this community Who served their country in the Armed Forces preserving our freedom and our way of life To the memory of those who served In the global war on terror 2001 - Those who paid the supreme sacrifice (2 names inscribed)

The Enfield Soldiers' Monument is a 6' high figure of a Union soldier. It was dedicated by the City…read moreof Enfield way back in 1885. The soldier has a mustache and holds his rifle. He stands on a huge 4-sided base that's decorated with all kinds of things; a sculpture of an eagle and shield, and the military symbols for different branches of the armed forces. Some of the symbols are an anchor for the Navy, two crossed sabers representing cavalry, crossed cannons for artillery and a bugle for infantry. There are four plaques at the base of the statue -two for the Civil War and two that were added on years later. One each for World War I and World War II. A plaque on the front reads: IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF ENFIELD WHO ON LAND AND SEA PERILED THEIR LIVES FOR UNION AND LIBERTY, 1861-1865 ---------- ERECTED BY THE TOWN OF ENFIELD A.D. 1885. The other plaques are dedicated to those who died at the infamous Andersonville prison during the Civil War, and those lost in WWI and WWII. The respective inscriptions read: ROLL OF HONOR KILLED IN BATTLE {Ten names} DIED FROM WOUNDS {Fourteen names} DIED IN SERVICE AT ANDERSONVILLE PRISON, GA. {Fifteen names} IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR FOR WORLD-WIDE LIBERTY 1917-1919 KILLED IN ACTION {Eight names} DIED IN SERVICE {Six names, the last is a female Red Cross nurse} ERECTED BY THE TOWN OF ENFIELD 1922 World War II Plaque ROLL OF HONOR DIED IN SERVICE {Fifteen Names}

The Firefighter community has a 200-year old tradition that takes place at firefighter's funerals…read moreknown as "The Ringing of the Bell." A bell is rung three times, and after each set of three rings, a gloved hand envelops the bell to silence it before the next set of three rings starts. After the final ringing of the third set, the bell is left alone until the ring dissipates on its own. At Enfield's Fire District #1 station house, there is a firefighters' memorial and bell. The bell is mounted inside a 6 foot high wall of stacked flagstones. A plaque bears the following inscription: FIRE FIGHTERS MEMORIAL PRESENTED BY ENFIELD VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT.

This is a very strange monument located on the green in front of the Enfield Congregational Church…read more A statue of Thomas Abbey stands on a four-sided base inside a circular ring of stone benches. The base is absolutely crammed with inscribed text on all four sides, including the verses of a long poem. The poem is "The Captain's Drum" and it memorializes a 1775 event in Enfield's history involving Thomas Abbey (1731-1811) and the birth of the United States. Abbey was a veteran of the French and Indian War. When news of the Boston shootings at Lexington and Concord reached Enfield, Abbey led soldiers of the Enfield Company on a 103-mile long march from Enfield's meeting house at the Congregational Church all the way to Boston to join the battle against the British. The poem's 12th verse reads ''The Green of Lexington is red With British Red-Coats, brothers' blood ! In rightful cause the earliest dead Ave always best beloved of God. Mark time ! Let the march begin ! All bound for Boston, fall right in !" I don't know about you, but I got the chills when I read this.....