Weymouth to dedicate renovated Heritage Park. What to know

WEYMOUTH − The town will celebrate the 279th birthday of its most famous daughter by dedicating the park where her statue stands.

Mayor Robert Hedlund will host the dedication ceremony for Heritage Park at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the park at Washington and Middle streets.

The park features a new stone facade, walkways, landscaping and lighting. The centerpiece is a statue of Abigail Adams, who was born in a house on Norton Street in North Weymouth on Nov. 22, 1744. It's where she married John Adams 20 years later.

In addition to Hedlund, other speakers at the ceremony will include Michael F. Aylward, governor of the Society of Colonial Wars in Massachusetts, and Cathy Torrey, of the Abigail Adams Historical Society.

Money for the project came from the mayor's beautification fund, which receives donations from Weymouth businesses. BETA Group Inc. provided engineering services at a reduced rate.

The flag and the flagpole were donated by the town's waste management company, EZ Disposal. Site work, including grading and landscaping, was done by the town's department of public works.

Heritage Park has hosted a lot of Weymouth history

Hedlund said the park is at the geographic center of town and is the site of many historical events, such as the first town meeting.

"It is an important landmark in town that deserved the time and attention it was given by the DPW, who overhauled the landscaping and lighting," the mayor said. "I couldn't be more pleased with the results of all the hard work that went into this project."

A plaque installed in the park in 1930 notes it was the location of the last attack on Weymouth by Native Americans under King Philip on April 19, 1676.

The park was also the site of the Weymouth Town House, which was built in 1852. The town's first high school opened there a year later, and it hosted many local events until it was relocated to the site of the current police station in 1906-07. The building burned down in 1914.

Reach Fred Hanson at fhanson@patriotledger.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Weymouth to dedicate renovated Heritage Park on Wednesday