Bell Rock Park, Malden, Massachusetts


I visited Bell Rock Park recently at dusk and found the lighting and the cold air of winter to add a certain poignance to the monuments on this gorgeous, overlooked green space, hiding in plain sight in Boston suburbia. During my visit I noticed a couple of other people who were looking at the plaques that memorialize a multitude of different items, primarily war memorials. 


The City of Malden website provides some details on Bell Rock Park, noting that it commemorates the two earliest Congregational Meeting houses in Malden. These meeting houses in the 16-1700s often served as both government and spiritual centers of communities. The website also notes that Bell Rock Park is on the National Register of Historic Places and was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. in 1910. Olmsted Jr. is the second generation of the Olmsted family who left an impressive mark on the American landscape, designing public spaces from coast to coast, and setting standards for the profession.

The several photos/silhouettes above and below are of "The Flag Defenders," which is a Civil War Memorial statue. Bela Pratt was a prominent artist, born in Connecticut with most of his work in the northeastern United States. He did have several works which are still featured on the campuses of buildings in Washington D.C.  The Wikipedia page on Bell Rock Park notes that the three figures represent the Navy, the Army, and the Marines.







You can see the moon in the darkening sky, contrasted against the memorial and the natural ledge on which it was built. As typical, photographs never capture how it appeared in person.




I thought the headers on the WWII plaques containing quotes from presidents, admirals and other prominent figures, is very nice touch. 

Note the trees in some of these photos, they are gorgeous, and I suspect some probably exist as intended by Olmsted, to accent this space. It's easy to take them for granted, but the time and care necessary to reach this point is worthy of respect.





Other than mentioning the WWII Memorial's existence neither the city webpage or the Wikipedia page discuss any further details. At a glance it seems somewhat contemporary, or at least the plaques bearing the names have a rather modern style, especially the kiosks separate from the arch way. I speculate as more of the WWII generation the names of those who have passed on may get added in memory of their service. If anyone has any information, please leave a comment.


Plaque in memory of the park commissioner who held the position at the time the Bell Rock Park was planned and constructed. He didn't have the glory of designing the park, and perhaps he was not one of the veterans commemorated throughout this terrific public space, however his work certainly helped make this space possible.



The American Legion is somewhat fittingly behind Bell Rock Park away from Main St.


Unfortunately these plaques are challenging to read from these photos. The Bell Rock Park Wikipedia page cites one plaque has a dedication to Michael Wigglesworth, a Puritan minister who sometimes preached in Malden. If interested in history and unique figures, Wigglesworth is noteworthy. His Wikipedia page describes him as a very tragic figure, suffering from terrible inferiority issues which seem to largely stem from insecurities due to the moral norms of his time, and the harsh view he had of himself as a consequence. Largely respected, he turned down an opportunity to be the president of Harvard with belief that he was not deserving. Personal diaries paint a picture of someone who doubted his abilities, and his decency, and it seems he may have been a victim of the times in which he lived.



There is an especially steep spot behind The Flag Defenders statue, and you can see remnants of the last snowfall, and a lone sled left behind by the neighborhood children (or perhaps some youthful adults).





There is also a plaque dedicated to those who served in the Revolutionary War. The oxidation on such plaques, hints of green and a mottled appearance, I find add a certain dignity. 


Text and photographs by George Parks
Sources are embedded in links

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