Can The St. Patrick's Day Parade Help Save Mamaroneck History?

MAMARONECK, NY — Time is running out to save the eight irreplaceable works of art representing Mamaroneck's unique heritage and singular contributions to the birth of American literature.

The community faces an uphill march to save the murals that have greeted students at Mamaroneck High School for generations after the school board voted to move forward with plans for new construction, but on March 20, the fight will take on a slightly more festive cadence.

The Mamaroneck Historical Society will march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade to help save the beloved 80-year-old Mamaroneck High School murals. Anyone is welcome to join the group in the parade and in their efforts to try to rescue the paintings before it's too late.

The entourage will gather at Mavis Tire before the parade, which is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. After registering, participants will march in the Sound Shore St. Patrick's Day Parade under the "Save the Murals" banner.

Five murals depict scenes from Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales, parts of which are believed to have been written when he lived in the area, according to the Mamaroneck Historical Society. In 1934, students themselves chose the important scenes from Cooper's novels to depict in murals. Five Yale artists were awarded the commission to paint the "Leatherstocking Murals" with support from famed muralist Eugene E. Savage. The PTA arranged for the artists to live with local families during the project and installation in 1941.

SEE ALSO:

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• Mamaroneck Historical Society Launches Campaign To Save 8 Murals
• What Is It Named After? The Leatherstocking Trail
• Sunny Goldberg Explores At-Risk 'Leatherstocking' Murals
• St. Patrick's Day Parade Returns To The Sound Shore After 2 Years

Efforts to save the eight historic murals paying tribute to Mamaroneck's unique contributions to the literary and visual arts have taken on a renewed urgency as construction plans that will result in the artworks' loss are scheduled to begin in just a few weeks.

The Mamaroneck Historical Society has launched a GoFundMe campaign to relocate the murals before it is too late. The murals stand in the way of progress in the shape of new construction scheduled to start at Mamaroneck High School on April 1.

At a January 18 meeting, the Mamaroneck Board of Education voted to move forward with construction of a Design Lab at the high school, which will result in the destruction of as many as three of the historically significant murals. According to the current plans, the remaining five murals will be sealed behind new walls.

"Honestly, as a member of the community, these murals are what make Mamaroneck High School so unique," Mamaroneck Historical Society Co-President Gail Boyle told the school board at the January meeting in a failed attempt to convince the school board to preserve the murals. "When you walk around the hall here, there's very little artwork and suddenly you walk into this space and there's this tremendous installation of public art. I'm sorry that you don't see it that way, but it's a big loss to the community."

Organizers now face the Herculean task of raising the money to save the treasures of a forgotten local heritage without the help of those trusted to be caretakers of the community.

The number of murals saved will depend on the amount of raised funds. As of noon Tuesday, the GoFundMe campaign has raised just over $34,000 with a goal of $175,000.

"Removing the murals requires hiring an art conservation company that specializes in safely removing large paintings done on canvas then glued to walls," the Mamaroneck Historical Society said in its fundraising plea. "The process may require lead abatement. The murals would then need to be cleaned and restored then installed at sites in the community. This is an expensive process, and we are seeking your support."

All raised funds will be used to finance the removal and restoration of the murals and work related to this effort, according to the historical society. None of the funds will be used for any other purposes by the Mamaroneck Historical Society.

Those interested in protecting the longstanding tributes to Mamaroneck's heritage can contribute to the Mamaroneck Historical Society's GoFundMe campaign here.