On Sunday afternoon, Norwalk returned an 1878 French cannon to the top of the World War monument on the city’s green.
The cannon, which had been captured by German forces in World War I and recaptured by the French, was presented as a gift to the city of Norwalk in 1921. The cannon stood atop the monument until the monument was moved in 1949 from Belden Avenue to its present home at the intersection of East Avenue and Park Street. At that time, the cannon was shifted to a former VFW building.
The eight bronze plaques bearing the monument’s dedication as well the names of local residents who fought and died in World War I also appear to have been cleaned since we visited the monument in early March (the bottom image in this post was taken then).
During that visit, we noticed that the plaque on the front face referred to a cannon that clearly was not there. We first assumed the cannon, like many Civil War artillery pieces, had been donated to a World War II scrap metal drive, but were glad to read about plans to restore the cannon to the top of the monument.
Organizers welcomed the restored cannon with a concert by the West Point Band, as well as remarks by a representative of the French government and local officials.
Tags: Norwalk