Township Committee supportive of monument proposal for Montgomery Park.
By: Paul Sisolak
MONTGOMERY Architectural plans for a veterans’ memorial in Montgomery Park were given full support Wednesday evening by the Township Committee.
Architect Thomas Lee, also vice chairman of the township Planning Board, submitted to the committee drawings that call for a monument honoring township veterans over the course of three centuries.
The memorial will sit in the park overlooking the Pike Brook footbridge and will measure approximately 50 feet by 40 feet, said Mr. Lee. A granite centerpiece surrounded by five tall columns arranged in the shape of a star will list the names of veterans who have lived in the township.
Beside his recommended addition of some red cedar trees behind the memorial, Mr. Lee said very little landscaping work would be required of the area, as the monument will be built into existing native trees.
Mr. Lee noted the monument’s secluded location and minimal signage within the park would allow visitors to simply stumble upon it, and that would be part of its significance.
"I think one of the nicest aspects of the site is that people will just discover it," he said.
So far, the Montgomery Veterans Memorial Committee has gathered 828 names from 10 different wars including the two world wars, the Civil War, Vietnam War, Revolutionary War and the Persian Gulf conflict.
Memorial Committee Chairman Jerry Cianfrocca said many names were compiled with the research and help of the Montgomery High School History Department. According to the committee’s standards, veterans can be included on the memorial even if they did not live in the township at the time of their military tenure.
Memorial and Township Committee member Don Matthews said research for the project began directly following the Memorial Committee’s founding in 1991.
Mr. Cianfrocca said fund-raising efforts will start after Mr. Lee obtains cost estimates from contractors. Based on previous reports, the monument will cost about $200,000 and will be financed entirely from donations.
"The key thing is to get fund-raising campaigns off the ground," said Mr. Cianfrocca.
Mayor Louise Wilson suggested the Memorial Committee attend a future business roundtable sponsored by the Montgomery Economic Development Commission to seek corporate sponsorship from local businesses.
A Memorial Committee Web site should be launched in the near future, added Mr. Cianfrocca. The committee, he said, hopes to see the monument built in time for Memorial Day of 2004.
In addition to the proposed Montgomery Veterans’ Memorial, a monument honoring township residents who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is located in Montgomery Park. The memorial, headed by memorial committee member Huguette Castaneda, recently underwent a beautification project by a local Eagle Scout.

