Monument will honor Rochambeau

#MiddleburyCT #Rochambeau

This photo uses the image from the Rochambeau statue in Rhode Island to help readers visualize how the new Rochambeau statue would appear. A sketch of the new statue is not yet available. (Robert Rafford mockup)

By DR. ROBERT L. RAFFORD

When the Pasko family of Middlebury recently toured the museum in the Middlebury Historical Society’s building, we pointed out our picture of General Comte de Rochambeau hanging on the wall next to that of General Washington. As we were explaining the French Army had marched 700 miles under Rochambeau, from Newport, Rhode Island, to Yorktown, Virginia, home-schooled fourth-grader Hudson Pasko impressively offered, “That’s where the Battle of Yorktown was fought.” Indeed, the battle that won the American Revolution was clinched at Yorktown, and we believe the sacrifices of those soldiers in winning that battle, American and French, should be known to every student in this country. Bravo, Hudson!

You may have seen previous articles in this newspaper that were about General Rochambeau and the French Army who encamped on Breakneck Hill in Middlebury in 1781 as they marched through Connecticut on their way to Yorktown and returned after their victory in 1782. We believe this is a history that all Middleburians should be familiar with and cherish. Lately there has been buzz around town concerning the Middlebury Historical Society’s efforts to erect a new Rochambeau monument in Meadowview Park. We are taking this opportunity to inform you about our plans.

To celebrate Middlebury’s historic role in the founding of our nation, and to allow students and others to further their knowledge of this great period, the Middlebury Historical Society embarked on an effort four years ago to erect a new monument memorializing the contributions of France to the American people. In addition, we want to memorialize the sacrifice of Middlebury soldiers and their families who fought in the Revolution. Lastly, we want to highlight the democratic values enshrined at our country’s founding that continue to inspire Americans and the world.

We initially planned to enhance the modest monument on Breakneck Hill that was erected in 1904 by the American-Irish Historical Society under Waterburian Dennis H. Tierney (1846-1916) to honor both Rochambeau and the Irish soldiers who served in the French Army during the Revolution. The town-owned land around the monument is not maintained, and the monument remains obscure to all but a few in town.

An effort to purchase the land and better care for it and the monument is under way, and the historical society has no problem with that. Whatever the outcome of that attempt, the monument will remain intact or will be moved closer to Artillery Road, depending on the will of Middleburians. If the land is transferred into private hands, deed restrictions will prevent any disturbance to its natural state forever.

The blue circle on this aerial view of Meadowview Park indicates where the new Rochambeau monument would be located. (Middlebury Historical Society photos)

However, landscape architects, surveyors and engineers we consulted did not encourage improving the monument on Breakneck Hill without great cost because of the harsh terrain of the aptly-named site. We considered smoother tracts of land nearby but ran into considerable roadblocks there as well. Finally, we turned our attention to Meadowview Park, and that is where our focus has remained for the past year.

Establishing a new monument in that park has a number of advantages that all other places considered lack:

• There is enough space for a tasteful monument to be erected with a minimum of terrain management
• The park is ideally maintained by our Public Works Department
• Thousands of visitors pass through the park each year
• There are many parking spaces to accommodate automobiles and buses
• Highly visible, the monument might even be seen by passing motorists
• The site will accommodate school classes, tour groups and other gatherings to congregate and learn about Rochambeau, the Revolution and American values
• Educational signage will tell this American story

We have retained the services of a landscape architect and anticipate choosing a sculptor to design a suitable monument. We will soon launch a capital campaign to raise the funds for the monument. As the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding approaches, our goal is to have the monument in place by June 27, (Rochambeau Day) 2026. We invite all to join in this historic endeavor. Contact us!

You are encourage to join the Middlebury Historical Society by going to MiddleburyHistoricalSociety.org or visiting them on Facebook. Questions about membership can be sent to Rafford at robraff@comcast.net.