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Heritage Commission approves plan to relocate and expand Rye veterans monument
Summary
The Rye Heritage Commission voted to place a new veterans monument near the Town Green flagpole and transfer the existing plaques to it, adding names omitted from the current memorial; the commission will present the proposal to the Select Board for next steps.
The Rye Heritage Commission voted on Thursday to identify a site on the Town Green for a new veterans monument that will incorporate plaques from the town’s existing war memorial and add names the current monument does not include. Chair Alex Herlihy proposed removing the plaques from the existing monument and affixing them to a new monument located near the flagpole off Central Road. The commission approved the motion, with a recorded vote of 5-0-1; Selectmen’s Representative John Tuttle registered an abstention.
Why it matters: Commission members said the revised monument would consolidate the town’s inscriptions and ensure more recent veterans who have died in service are included. Chair Alex Herlihy said he will present the proposal to the Select Board for its support and placement approval.
During discussion, resident Jim Cullen raised concerns about the Town’s maintenance of the existing monument and recommended budgeting for ongoing upkeep. Cullen also said he supported honoring veterans but preferred leaving the current monument in place rather than removing plaques. The commission discussed alternatives and agreed the Town Green was the most appropriate location for a consolidated memorial, but members did not adopt any specific maintenance funding requirement as part of the motion.
The approved motion, as modified, directs the Heritage Commission to identify a location in Rye, recommends placement by the flagpole on the Town Green, and directs that plaques on the existing war monument be extracted and applied to the new monument along with additional names from the Revolutionary War forward who are not currently represented. The motion clarified that use of the Heritage Commission annual fundraiser to raise initial project funds was discussed but intentionally excluded from the formal motion as recorded.
Next steps: Chair Herlihy said he will reach out to the Select Board office to request placement of the proposal on the Select Board’s next meeting agenda for review and any necessary town approvals.
