Offers of support pour in to help replace Black History plaque ruined by vandals
Vandals who continue to deface a Black history marker on Elm Street can’t win; not while Stan Garrity is around.
MANCHESTER, NH – Vandals who continue to deface a Black history marker on Elm Street can’t win; not while Stan Garrity is around.
In December Garrity discovered the image of Samantha Plantin, Manchester’s first Black female land owner, had been scratched over by vandals and was unrepairable. In January Garrity put the word out about the vandalism and, within a few days, people from not only the city but from across the state reached out to offer help – from monetary contributions toward replacement of the sign, to at least one offer to foot the bill completely.
After looking into it Garrity found that the defaced sign could be replaced for $610. He is also looking into the cost of installing a Plexiglass cover to protect the plaque from future damage. He would also like to add a protective sheet of Plexiglass to two other signs on Elm Street – one that marks the site of a home on Manchester Street that operated as an Underground Railroad, and a sign that tells the story of two Black Manchester landowners, Caesar Griffin and Caesar Harvey, who lived here in the 1700s.
Since the story of the vandalism was published a little more than two weeks ago, additional damage has been done to the sign in the form of words scrawled on the sign with a Sharpie.
Garrity is determined to restore the sign, and he is gratified that the community is backing him up.
“There have been many offers on donations, but the best way to donate is through the Manchester Historic Association,” said Garrity, who has arranged for a dedicated fund with the historic association to accept contributions earmarked “Black History of Manchester.”
All donations will go toward any memorials or tributes that have to do with Manchester’s Black history, and are tax deductible.
“There have been many groups and businesses that have offered to donate and so this is really the best way,” said Garrity – not only to keep track of incoming contributions but, hopefully, to build up more reserves so that he can continue to add historical plaques around the city.
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