EASTHAMPTON — It was like any other day, when Silas Kopf was walking down Main Street. A streak of white stone caught his eye protruding from the dark, brick side of Easthampton’s historic Old Town Hall. Upon further investigation, Kopf was struck by what he saw.
The marble plaque, built in 1869 to memorialize all Easthampton residents who died during the Civil War, is a piece of national history living on local history. Though chipped, cracked, and faded, the black writing showed it was on the brink of collapse.
“It struck me,” said Kopf, who lives in Northampton but owns a studio in Easthampton.
Kopf, so moved by the plaque, decided to donate enough money to restore the monument to its pristine condition. The money was donated to CitySpace, a nonprofit formed in 2006 to preserve and manage Old Town Hall.
“I think this is a chance to have a check on our local history,” Kopf said.
Kopf described the visceral reaction he felt, specifically reading about the six people on the plaque lost at the Andersonville Prison camp, which he called a story of “horror.” Some 45,000 were imprisoned at the camp, nearly 13,000 of whom died from disease, poor sanitation, malnutrition, overcrowding or exposure, according to the United States National Park Service.
Kopf noted that two of the Easthampton people who died at the camp had the last name Clark. He wonders if anyone today knows them.
“I assumed they were brothers or cousins,” Kopf said. “What a heartbreaking situation that must have been for their family.”
Restoration of the plaque finished earlier this month, led by Vitek Kruta of VK Restoration. Kruta said that prior to restoration, the plaque had surface staining, hairline cracking and deterioration of its two decorative pillars on either side. The brick behind the plaque also had many cracks.
“Considering the age, it’s in pretty good shape,” said Kruta. “The whole thing is just beautiful.”
A former Easthampton resident, Kruta also helped restore the paint inside the Our Lady of the Valley Parish Church at 33 Adams St.
He said the main culprit causing the plaque’s deterioration over the years — besides age — is water seeping into the cracks, freezing during the winter and expanding. Kruta and his team repaired the cracks and missing pieces of both the marble and brick, and repainted the lettering with a final polish.
Kopf, with a particular acuity to architecture, said he was happy to help restore a piece of the historic former Town Hall, which stopped being used for municipal purposes in 2003.
“I love the Old Town Hall. The architecture, the beautiful carved arches and the tower. It’s just a beautiful building,” Kopf said.
Michael Tautznik, current CitySpace treasurer and former mayor of Easthampton, said the north tower on which the plaque is located is actually dedicated to soldiers lost in the Civil War as well. There are several other memorials inside the Old Town Hall.
Tautznik said restoration of the plaque signifies the total restoration of the Old Town Hall.
“When Silas [Kopf] came forward and asked about our interest in restoring it [the plaque] we had that on our list so it was kind of a perfect match,” Tautznik said.
The restoration of the Old Town Hall at 43 Main St. is currently in the second of three phases. Phase two launched last summer, breaking ground on an elevator and entrance compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Tautznik said construction of the elevator is likely to finish by mid-October, depending on state elevator inspections.
Phase three involves converting the second floor of the building into a performance venue, though Tautznik said an architect will likely need to be brought in to take another look at the renovation plans. CitySpace has secured a $3.5 million federal earmark for the work, and additional fundraising will likely start once the second phase wraps up, he said.
