PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Children, families, and community members visiting Durrant Park will now have a piece of their community's history overlooking the space following the unveiling of the "Pride of the Westside" mural on Veterans Day.

 

The mural, designed by artist Carlos Jefferson, honors the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment and the Rev. Samuel Harrison and recognizes the contributions of Black Civil War soldiers and their historical ties to Berkshire County.

 

Westside Legends spearheaded the project, which was described as a combined effort with neighborhood residents, local organizations, businesses, city officials and volunteers who contributed funding, materials, labor and expertise.

 

The 16-foot-high, 24-foot-wide mural presented challenges, but with the help of volunteers, coordination with the city's Parks Department, and support from Eversource, which donated and installed the utility poles, the project came together.

 

Weather resistance was also a concern after a previous mural began deteriorating after a couple of months. After learning about this, an expert from Boston stepped forward to help the organization preserve this mural and revitalize the previous one.

 

"West Side Legends was started with the devotion of giving flowers to people who have done legendary things in the West Side of Pittsfield," Westside Legends President Tony Jackson said.

 

"When we started, it was with basketball players, football players, all kinds of people in the neighborhood that did important things, but it started right here with the 54th. Those are the first original West Side legends, and they're truly legends. They're icons."

 

The 54th included 81 men from Berkshire County, 14 of whom were from Pittsfield, and fought in the 1863 assault on Fort Wagner in South Carolina, a battle depicted in the film "Glory."

 

Harrison served as a chaplain for the regiment and advocated for equal pay for Black Union soldiers. He later became the first pastor of Second Congregational Church, Berkshire County's first Black church.

 

"This beautiful piece of artwork, designed by Carlos Jefferson, marks the significant place of Pittsfield history…Reverend Harrison's advocacy and contributions to Pittsfield and this country will always be remembered and honored," Mayor Peter Marchetti said.

 

Pittsfield Veterans Services Director Mark Pompi said he, too, is still learning about the history of the 54th Massachusetts, highlighting how he didn't know how Berkshire County had a full company of soldiers, some of whom lived in Pittsfield. 

 

"I'm seriously blown away by what's behind me. As a history buff, as a movie buff, as a military veteran, as a combat veteran, I served in Afghanistan as a volunteer. I want you to know, in this unit, they're called the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry," he said. 

 

"They all put their lives on the line…These guys that mustered in Boston and throughout Massachusetts to go fight to bring the Union back together, all volunteered."

 

Pompi emphasized the sacrifices made by the soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, noting that they volunteered to fight for the Union despite facing the threat of execution if captured by Confederate forces.

 

"If they were captured by the Confederates, whom we were fighting at the time, they were going to be put to death, and they still volunteered to go fight," he said.

 

Pompi also reflected on the regiment's participation in the Battle of Fort Wagner and the sacrifices its soldiers made in the fight against slavery.

 

The seeds for the mural were planted approximately five years ago when Frances Jones-Sneed, a history professor at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, introduced West Side Legends members to the history of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment and its deep connections to Pittsfield, Jackson said.

 

That discovery helped inspire a collaborative effort involving the Berkshire County chapter of the NAACP, the Samuel Harrison Society, the Rites of Passage and Empowerment Program (ROPE), West Side Legends members and other community advocates.

 

He learned a lot about the history of the regiment and the movie Glory but didn't know its significance to him personally and was amazed to find out that he is a descendant of a regiment veteran, Paul Hamilton, Jackson's great-great-grandfather.

 

Hamilton had 13 siblings, two of whom served during the Civil War, but were killed during the Battle of Fort Wagner in South Carolina, which is depicted in the mural.

 

The family's connections extended through the sisters, who married men associated with the 54th Regiment, creating family ties through blood and marriage, which Jackson believes connects many of Berkshire County's longstanding Black families.

 

"When I say we populated Berkshire County, we populated Berkshire County," he said.

 

The experience served as an example of how everyone is constantly learning, progressing, and moving– an idea that resonated with Marchetti and prompted him to depart from his prepared remarks.

 

During a conversation with Jackson prior to the ceremony, Marchetti said he was reminded of his time serving as the chairperson of the Morningside Initiative, when a deteriorating house on Third Street had become the subject of numerous neighborhood complaints.

 

The group initially considered demolishing the property, but those plans were quickly halted after the city's Historical Commission identified it as the former home of the Rev. Samuel Harrison.

 

"I'm talking about learning and progressing. Look where we are today. And so, sometimes it's okay to admit the errors of your ways, especially if the error of your ways turns out to put us on a better path," Marchetti said.

 

Veterans Day commemorations often focus on veterans who served in more recent conflicts. However, it is important not to overlook the contributions of Civil War veterans, particularly the Black soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier said.

 

"That is our heritage. That is the heritage of Pittsfield, and we have so much to be proud of. This park is full of kids and families, and they are seeing their history, being reminded of it. And when we come to visit, we are seeing it," she said.

 

"That's what we should be doing all the time, all the time, being grateful to every veteran, and I'm going to say especially those who fought in the Civil War in the 54th."

 

During the unveiling, kids could be seen playing basketball on the court adjacent to the mural. Jason Cuyler, the sheriff's office assistant deputy superintendent of community engagement, recalled playing basketball at Durrant Park growing up and emphasized the importance of preserving the neighborhood's history for future generations.

 

"I think this is a symbol that they can always look to and think about the history. It's really important, and it's something that really strikes my heart when I really think about it," he said.

 

While the mural honors the veterans of the 54th Regiment, Cuyler said that it is also there to educate the next generation.

 

"It's really important for us to educate them and let them know how important they are [and] where their heritage comes from," he said.

 

While Veterans Day is an important occasion to honor those who served, Cuyler said the unveiling also highlighted the dedication of volunteers and community organizations working to remind residents of the importance of their community.