Coast Guard buoy “washes up” on Elliott Street

A symbol of the sea is catching eyes at its new home, the northeast corner of Elliott and McKay streets, where it rests on dry land. Cummings Properties recently refurbished and installed the authentic bell buoy as a public art sculpture for Elliott Landing, the local firm’s new luxury condominium.

“The buoy celebrates Beverly’s nautical past and reinforces Elliott Landing’s waterside theme,” said Steve Drohosky, vice president and general manager at Cummings Center. “It is also in keeping with Cummings Properties’ longstanding practice of rescuing and recycling pieces of history – just as we did when we turned ‘The Shoe’ into Cummings Center.”

The Woburn-based commercial real estate firm purchased the derelict former United Shoe Machinery Corporation site in 1996 and undertook a top-to-bottom restoration to transform it into a 2 million-square-foot office and technology park.

Cummings Properties bought the maritime navigational aid via auction from the U.S. Coast Guard’s Northeast Buoy Depot in South Weymouth, a facility that refurbishes buoys for redeployment or sells them, typically for scrap metal. The proceeds of the purchase benefited the Base Boston Morale, Well-Being, and Recreation Division, which supports local Coast Guard personnel.

Originally 20 feet tall and six feet wide, the heavily rusted buoy weighed 6,500 pounds. Cummings staff wire-brushed it clean and removed the bottom stem and counterweight, resulting in its current height, a still-imposing 14 feet. After applying several fresh coats of bright red and white enamel paint and installing a white light at the top, six staff members maneuvered the historical artwork into place with the help of a telehandler, a piece of heavy equipment that is a cross between a crane and a forklift.

A gallery of photos of the transformation and installation process is available at Elliott Landing's blog.

Cummings Properties originally requested proposals from New England artists for a sculpture at this highly visible location on the corner of the Cummings Center campus, with Montserrat College of Art assisting in the collection and evaluation process. Although none of the submissions were selected, Cummings awarded a total of $15,000 in honoraria to Montserrat and the artists with the highest scoring proposals, to recognize their contributions, according to Drohosky.

“We received many thoughtful and creative entries,” said Drohosky, “but none captured our firm’s penchant for restoration or the importance of water to the property’s history as well as this nautical artifact.”

As commemorated on a bronze plaque just outside Elliott Landing’s front entrance, an inlet in the Bass River very near the site was used centuries ago by five pioneer families, known as the Beverly Planters, to travel from the center of Salem to their farms before the first dam was built. Friend’s Mill, a tidal-powered gristmill, was then constructed there in 1642.

Elliott Landing welcomed its first residents in late November. More than 60 percent of its 73 luxury homes are sold. An open house will be held Saturday and Sunday, January 28 and 29 at its Sales Center, located at 201 Elliott Street. More information about the residences is available at Elliott Landing's website.

PHOTO: Buoy before rehabilitation work

PHOTO: Buoy in place at Elliott Landing

PHOTO: The Cummings Properties crew that installed the buoy included (left to right) Joe Desiderio, Jimmy Zamakis, Joe Giaquinto, Bill Thompson, Kevin Cravatis, and Andrew Bugler.