Old Saybrook honors its Civil War veterans with a simple monument in Riverside Cemetery.
The undated monument stands in a small traffic island near the cemetery’s main entrance from Sheffield Street. A dedication on its front (south) face reads “In memory of our comrades who served in the war of the rebellion. Erected by the veterans of Old Saybrook.”
At the base of the monument are the years in which the Civil War took place, 1861-1865.
The monument is not dated, but the reference to the “war of the rebellion,” likely indicates the monument was erected in the late 19th Century. By the early 20th Century, the conflict was more commonly described as the Civil War.
The monument has no lettering on its other faces. A smaller, more modern granite marker at the base of the monument bears the inscription “Veterans’ Memorial.” Several Civil War veterans are buried in the sections near the monument.
A short distance southwest of the cemetery, three monuments in front of Town Hall honor the veterans of the 20th Century’s Wars. A 1926 boulder monument honoring the service of World War I veterans bears a dedication on its front (west) face reading “In memory of Old Saybrook’s sons who served. The east face of the monument has a plaque with two columns of names listing local veterans, organized by service branches. The monument is topped by a bronze eagle.
Near the World War monument, a granite monument dedicated in 1961 honors local war heroes. A dedication near the top of the monument reads, “Erected by the citizens of Old Saybrook in memory of her sons who died at war.”
Beneath that dedication, the monument lists heroes and the wars in which they were lost. One person is listed for World War I; 15 for World War II; two for Korea, and one for Vietnam.
A polished granite monument in front of three flagpoles bears the POW-MIA logo. An eternal flame flickers in front of the POW-MIA monument.
