Town of East Hartford to Restore the Doughboy Statue for the Commemoration of the Centenary of the End of WWI
The Town of East Hartford and the East Hartford Public Library are starting to work on the restoration and renovation of the “Ready,” also known as the “Doughboy” statue, located at 840 Main Street, outside of the East Hartford Public Library.
“The restoration of the monument is instrumental in keeping the memory of those who served alive for another century,” said Mayor Marcia Leclerc. “My hope is that residents will attend the commemoration ceremony to pay tribute to those who fought for our freedom.”
According to the Library Director Sarah Morgan, bronze statues require regular maintenance to avoid deterioration and that’s the reason behind this renovation process.
Therefore, the monument is being cleaned, repaired to fill small holes and coated with wax to create a more uniform appearance and to also protect it from the elements. There will be regular maintenance sessions scheduled to prevent future wear and tear.
The restoration should take about a week and the process is expected to begin during the week of September 24, weather permitting.
The restoration is expected to be completed for the commemoration ceremony of the centenary of the end of World War I, scheduled for October 20 at 1:30 p.m. The event will take place at 840 Main Street, outside of the library. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved inside to the meeting room. The ceremony will also feature a rededication of the “Doughboy” statue memorializing the men and women from the Town of East Hartford who served in that war.
The commemoration event is organized by the library in conjunction with the group of volunteers from the WWI Commemoration Committee and representatives of the VFW Rchambeau-Elms Post 2083.
“On this 100th anniversary of the end of WWI, it is fitting that we restore “Ready,” the Doughboy statue on the front lawn of the library,” Morgan said. The restored statue will stand proudly on the library lawn for many years to come.”
Prior to the October commemoration ceremony, individuals can learn more about other WWI Monuments in Connecticut on October 4 at 6 p.m., when local historian Richard Donohue will present a program at the library. Donohue has visited all 169 Connecticut towns to catalog their monuments. He will discuss highlights of his documentation with special emphasis on East Hartford. For more information and to register, please call the reference desk at 860-290-4331 or visit our website: www.easthartfordct.gov/library.