Orange 9-Foot 'X' Marks Spot, Causes A Stir In Beverly

BEVERLY, MA — The answer to the mystery of the new enormous "X" structures in Beverly has been revealed.

Over the past few weeks, Cummings Properties — the owner of Cummings Center and Dunham Ridge technology park in Beverly — has quietly erected 9-foot orange structures that appear from a distance to be a large "X" on the spot.

Stonehenge, they are not exactly. But they did cause some conversation on the North Shore as people wondered where they came from and what they do signify.

Cummings revealed to Patch that what they call their "Iron Butterflies" are intended to represent the Najavo culture's interpretation of the monarch butterfly as a symbol of "joy and resurgence," the Hopi people's reverence of butterflies as a sign of "future abundance and health," how they are a Japanese symbol of longevity and how in African culture butterflies are considered sources of resurgence and transformation.

"The trials of the pandemic have shined a light on the Commonwealth's incredible adaptability and resilience," Cummings Properties founder Bill Cummings said in a statement to Patch. "As we are emerging from this incredibly challenging period, we felt that the butterfly was an apt symbol to share with the community."

Cummings Chief Design Officer Jim Trudeau said the project is part of a long-standing tradition of placing public art near landmark buildings.

Cummings said 12 structures have thus far also been installed at the firm's business and technology parks in Woburn, Wilmington, Stoneham, Beverly, and Andover, and 10 more are in fabrication in Woburn.

Cummings has also donated a sculpture to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)