Memorials to World War II can show up in unexpected places. One of Little Falls’ is found on East Main Street where there are flat topped stone walls along the sidewalk where we sit to watch the parades go by or take a rest on festival days.
Look closely at these walls and you will see symmetrically placed iron hardware protruding from the stone surface . Can you guess what their purpose might have been?
The World War II war effort included a call for scrap iron to feed the arms manufacture needed to defeat the Nazis. Patriotic owners of Victorian homes enclosed within the magnificent cast iron fences had a decision to make: Shall I donate all of my fence? Some of it? None of it? These options left us with empty spaces, fragments, and still complete examples.
How do we in our day view these fence owners’ choices? Do you feel pleased that we still have examples of these architectural showpieces or perhaps proud of the empty stone walls with their telltale hardware given by a family who answered the call? You decide.
– Nancy Ressue
