Cheshire Firefighters Clean Vandalized Stafford Hill Monument
The Stafford Hill Monument is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
"When it was brought up to the members, they did not hesitate," Fire Chief Thomas Francesconi said. "I was happy with their willingness to do that outside of their normal drill schedule. I was proud."
The Cheshire Police Department took to Facebook last week to ask for public assistance to help them identify people involved in spray painting symbols on the historic monument located on Stafford Hill.
While the police continued their own investigation, the Fire Department decided to help out with cleanup. Thursday night, 15 members made their way up to Stafford Hill to see what they could do to remove the vandalism.
"We kind of talked about it in the station one night during the week between the police chief and myself," Francesconi said. "We decided to give it a run."
He said department brought up the water tanker and a power washer. Once connected, firefighters had the perfect tool to remediate the monument.
With some graffiti removal spray, they had the entire monument mostly cleaned up in just over an hour.
"They sprayed it on and between the tanker and the power washer, we were able to get most of it, if not all of it, off," the fire chief said.
Francesconi said beyond helping out, it was nice to be outside in the warmer weather.
Police are still seeking information to identify the perpetrators.
The monument was built in 1927 to commemorate Colonel Joab Stafford, who fought in the Battle of Bennington during the Revolutionary War and who was an early settler of Cheshire and died there in 1802. The stone tower, based on one in Rhode Island where Stafford was from, also incorporates his grave though the body is believed to have been reburied elsewhere.
The monument is on the National Historic Register but is in a secluded area and has been the site of parties and vandalism in the past.
The Police Department, in responding to comments on the Facebook post, wrote "The issue is ongoing and needs to stop up there. Cameras will be going up and if caught defacing property, charges will be brought against the responsible party."
Tags: graffiti, monument, vandalism,
