Westport is filled with alert “06880” readers. Many have emailed me recently, asking, essentially: WTF is up with the Minuteman statue?
After a frenzy of restoration activity in late summer, our beloved town symbol has remained wrapped in plastic. On Halloween, no one turned him into a ghost or pirate. It’s Christmastime — but no Santa hat. Easter is far off, but already we’re worrying the Minuteman won’t wear his traditional rabbit ears.
The Minuteman, under wraps. (Photo/Catherine Rondeau)
Hold your fire (ho ho ho).
The Minuteman is all spruced up. The hang-up is the fence around him.
It was in very bad shape. (No surprise. Like the Minuteman, it’s over 100 years old.)
According to Francis Miller — a Hamden conservator working on the project — final touches include galvanizing, light abrasive cleaning, painting, installation, then grade adjustment. Target date for completion is the end of the month.
Organizers want to unveil the entire project at once, rather than piecemeal. So — someday next year — the Minuteman will again look like this:
And this:
And this:
