Statue Site

Memorial Site

The finalized plans for the Sojourner Truth Memorial site at the corner of Pine & Park Streets in Florence were approved in November 2001 by the Northampton Board of Public Works.

Denig Design Associates of Northampton designed the memorial site. The statue stands atop an 8" pedestal of granite, set within a central terrace framed by granite seatwalls which are surrounded by a lush array of garden plantings. Informational plaques, about Sojourner Truth and the Northampton Association of Education and Industry of which she was a part, are placed throughout the site.

Nancy Felton, chair of the Statue Committee, commented: "Nancy Denig and her associates, Martin Ringey and Heather Cruddace, have created a beautiful plan for the memorial site. We are very grateful for the generous donation of their design services."

On February 7, 2002, the Northampton City Council formally accepted the memorial site and statue as a gift to the City when completed. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Monday, June 17, 2002, when Paul Forth of Stone Creations began construction work on the site. The statue was installed on October 4 and an unveiling & dedication ceremony was held on October 6, 2002. Landscaping was completed by volunteers, including students from Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School, in the summer of 2003. We are grateful to the following businesses for their in-kind support of the landscaping of the memorial:

Agway, Inc.

Andrew's Greenhouse

Bay State Perennial Farm

Blue Meadow Farm

MacLeod's Nursery

Mark Moggio

Northeast Environmental Solutions

Denig Design Associates

Hadley Garden Center

Home Depot

Lashway Forest Products

Old Deerfield Landscaping