ROCKLAND — The monument honoring the Civil War’s Fourth Maine regiment will be moved from its current location at the roadside of Talbot Avenue to the grounds of the Wilson-Holbrook-Merritt Memorial American Legion, following a unanimous vote by the Rockland City Council, Monday evening, July 13.

On Talbot Avenue, near Old County Road, is a steep hill that blinds drivers from seeing oncoming traffic in each direction. That part of the street is narrow and without sidewalks. At the crest of the hill, on the edge of private property, is a memorial honoring the Maine regiment. Down the hill, behind the house, is the American Legion.

Mike McNeil, Chairman of the Mid-Coast Area Veteran’s Memorial, presented plans for moving the monument to the Veteran’s Memorial, a few hundred feet away. McNeil cited public safety issues for the teachers and school children who attempt to visit the monument on Talbot.  McNeal also told councilors that the monument is in “rough shape, and is plowed into quite often.”

As well as recognizing those who fought, the current location of the monument marks the soldiers’ encampment site between Talbot Avenue and Rankin Street, according to Rockland Historical Society member Brian Harden, who opposed the council’s decision.

Harden expressed concerns of the vote during the public hearing portion of the meeting. According to him, descendants of those Civil War veterans will have a harder time finding the encampment site if the monument is moved.

Mayor Frank Isganitis read a passage documenting the location of the encampment in Rockland.

“The companies of the Fourth Maine were ordered to rendezvous in Rockland on Thursday morning, May 16. The former Rockland companies went to camp on Tillson’s Hill, high eminence back of the thickly-settled part of Middle and Rankin Streets.”

Middle Street is now known as Talbot.

After reading the passage, Isganitis pointed out that the current monument marks the encampment site, but from across the street.

According to Harden, the monument was a collaborative purchase made by organizations that are all now in defunct. As a result, the monument became the responsility of the City.

Harden also expressed disappointment over learning of council’s pending vote on the subject only an hour before the meeting started.

“I’m really glad to submit factual information to you,” he said. “But we have to know about it longer enough ahead of time so that we can give you those facts. And not be put in the position of only having an hour to defend something for 2000 people who are dead.”

In response, Councilor Louise MacLellan-Ruf reminded Harden that this topic of conversation has been under discussion for the past 30 years.

Councilor Larry Pritchett said he’d lived in Rockland approximately 25 years before coming across the monument one day. He wanted to stop and look, but couldn’t find a place to park. He returned after awhile and was surprised and discouraged by what he found.

“There was probably no way to legally read it without a DOT safety vest on,” he said. “It’s a miracle a snow plow hasn’t taken it out.” 

In the end, Councilor Will Clayton urged members of the public not to dwell on the exact reason for the monument itself — whether it’s to honor the veterans or the camp site — but to honor those who lived and died.

“Nobody can discount the history of it, and what these gentlemen did, and the memorializing of it,” Clayton said. 

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com.