SHARON — Sometimes the most notable resident of a small town isn’t a person, but a landmark. Such is the case in the center of Sharon, just at the edge of the Green. The “Soldier’s Monument,� was originally located farther up Main Street. The 7-foot-tall monument was later moved across the street, at the curve in Route 41, when the roadway was widened in the early 20th century.
The cannon and carriage, built from granite, are historically significant because they are a symbol of honor and respect paid by the community to Sharon residents who died in the Civil War.
There were ongoing discussions throughout the town regarding commissioning a monument to these brave Civil War fighters. These conversations came to a head when Emily O. Wheeler of New York submitted illustrations of her design for a monument.
A January 1885 town meeting was held and Wheeler’s plans were agreed upon. She was offered $1,000 to complete her proposal.
Wheeler’s association with Sharon and the source of the plan and design are unknown, as are the identities of the quarry and stonecutter.
Dedication Day ceremonies were held on Aug. 6, 1885, and organized by John M. Gregory, Post No. 59, from the Grand Army of the Republic. The procession included two bands and three other G.A.R. posts. Dr. C.C. Tiffany of New York presented the monument on behalf of the selectmen. Col. A.H. Fenn of Winsted and the Rev. Hiram Eddy of North Canaan made the principal addresses.
The monument features a bench and pedestal as well as a small mounted cannon.
When the original metal cannon deteriorated in the early 20th century, the present wooden replacement was added. Carved sunbursts embellish the scrolled bench, which ends at the front of the structure.
There is a small stack of granite cannonballs on either side of the central pedestal. The lettering below is enclosed and hard to make out, but it is recorded as originally saying, “Erected by the town of Sharon in memory of the brave men who enlisted from this township in the war of the rebellion and fell in the struggle to maintain the Union.�
