ANDOVER — A WWI monument — a captured German cannon — hasn’t been swiped from The Park. It’s just been taken in for some much-needed restoration.
Christopher Kun, foreman for the Department of Public Works’ Parks and Grounds Division, said workers from both his division and the Forestry Division removed the cannon the day after Christmas. The cannon will be restored by Greater Lawrence Technical School, according to Kun.
The German cannon, also called a howitzer, is a WWI trophy captured by American forces. A howitzer was able to fire at a high trajectory, hitting a target from miles away.
An inscription on the cannon says it was captured between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, 1918.
According to the town’s website, the cannon was donated to the town by Andover Post 2128 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 1932 and was first placed in Central Park, at Chestnut and Bartlet streets, at that time.
“It has remained a source of curiosity to generations of residents,” the website states.
Over the past three decades, the cannon has been restored and refurbished by Greater Lawrence Technical School and the Career and Technical Education’s carpentry program, as the elements and vandalism damaged the WWI memorial. The school’s second restoration of the cannon was completed in 2009.
Assistant Superintendent Brenda Richardson did not have details on the upcoming project, but noted Superintendent John Lavoie was involved in one restoration project as a carpentry instructor at the school.
This is the third time that the cannon will undergo restoration courtesy of GLTS. Kun said it’s become a hazard and was unsafe for visitors to the park to enjoy, especially children.
The date of the cannon’s return to The Park has not been set.