Veterans Memorial Park
Tucked along Railroad Row in downtown White River Junction,
you’ll find a modest park where three memorials stand, each accented by a garden. Veterans Memorial Park serves as a space of commemoration and reflection for veterans and service members, their families, and all visitors. The story of these memorials and their gardens is an example of what’s possible through the collaboration and persistence of volunteers who care. Plan to take a walk through the park to see its beauty and appreciate the monuments which honor those who fought for our democracy and freedom.
Hartford Garden Friends volunteers maintain the garden surrounding the World War 1/World War 2 Memorial.
Hartford Garden Friends volunteers maintain the garden surrounding the World War 1/World War 2 Memorial.
The Town of Hartford maintains the garden which grows under a sculpture of five stainless steel geese, as well as the garden surrounding the Post-World War 2 Veterans Memorial.
The Town of Hartford maintains the garden which grows under a sculpture of five stainless steel geese, as well as the garden surrounding the Post-World War 2 Veterans Memorial.
The cascading imagery of geese taking flight commemorates all who have left town to serve in the military.
“Leaving Home,” more commonly known as “the geese sculpture,” was conceptualized by Robert White of Norwich, and Jeffrey Sass (a well-known metal sculptor from West Hartford) was commissioned to create it. The cascading imagery of geese taking flight commemorates all who have left town to serve in the military. Each goose represents a branch of the five armed services in 2006 when it was completed. Over 20 years the geese have been a landmark in Veterans Memorial Park, quietly witnessing both the transformation of the park, and the revival of downtown White River Junction.
In October 2025, a member of Hartford Garden Friends noticed most of the geese were obscured by tall overgrown grass, and only one goose could be seen.
In October 2025, a member of Hartford Garden Friends noticed most of the geese were obscured by tall overgrown grass, and only one goose could be seen. Hartford Garden Friends and Hartford Parks and Recreation collaborated on a plan to restore the geese garden to its original condition. Jeffrey Sass was contacted and updated about ideas and efforts to revamp the garden, to which he expressed his appreciation. He even shared his interest in creating a sixth goose to reflect the addition of the U.S. Space Force as the nation’s sixth military branch.
The hands-on work began in spring of 2026. Volunteers worked together to remove the tall grass and expose the ridge that encircled the sculpture.
The hands-on work began in spring of 2026. Volunteers worked together to remove the tall grass and expose the ridge that encircled the sculpture.
That June, Hartford Garden Friends hosted another volunteer work day to dig out the remaining roots, and cover the dirt with landscape fabric, and in July volunteers spread mulch across the garden bed.
The next steps will be to plant a variety of low-maintenance perennial grasses that will only grow about 2 feet tall as to not obscure the geese (keep on the lookout for a Hartford Garden Friends volunteer planting workday in September 2026!) Once complete, the Town of Hartford will maintain the area so that Hartford Garden Friends can move on to the 20+ gardens that our volunteers plant, water and care for.
The two other memorials/gardens in Veterans Memorial Park have a different story to tell. They would not exist today without the ambition of a grassroots monument committee.
White River Junction was once the home of two beautiful memorials which honored each of Hartford’s World War 1 and World War 2 veterans by name.
White River Junction was once the home of two beautiful memorials which honored each of Hartford’s World War 1 and World War 2 veterans by name, but had fallen into disrepair and were eventually dismantled. Much of the original cast-iron World War 1 memorial, forged in Lebanon, New Hampshire, was stored for decades in the basements of Hartford Town Hall and later the Hartford Historical Society. The original World War 2 memorial, made completely of wood, succumbed to the elements after enduring decades outdoors in the Vermont climate and now only exists in photographs.
The idea to restore Hartford’s original World War 1 monument began in 2019 when Mary Kay Brown saw its surviving cast-iron pieces stored in the basement of the Hartford Historical Society. She wondered whether they could be brought back into public view and incorporated into a new memorial. After posting a couple of messages on local listservs, she found a small group of people interested in working on the project with her, and they formed the Hartford Monument Committee. The group received immediate encouragement and support from Scott Hausler of Hartford Parks and Recreation and, as the project moved forward, unanimous approval from the town’s Zoning, Planning, and Design Review boards.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the Monument Committee persisted, guiding every aspect of the project—from research and fundraising to design, construction, and dedication. The result was two new memorials, engraved with the names of those who served, to honor all Hartford’s veterans and make sure they are never forgotten.
On Memorial Day 2024, the dedication was held for the first new memorial, honoring both World War 1 and World War 2 veterans. The accompanying garden was planted that autumn through a partnership between the Hartford Monument Committee (funding all the plants), Hartford Garden Friends, and the Quechee Garden Club. Today, Hartford Garden Friends continues to maintain this garden.
Several native pollinator plants, including red columbine, gaillardia, and black-eyed Susans, were incorporated into the design in efforts to use more regionally native and pollinator-friendly species. The garden was also planned to have red, white and blue flowers blooming for Memorial Day. Since its installation, volunteers continue to nurture the garden toward becoming more established through weekly deadheading and weeding, and adjusting the plantings for soil, water and lighting conditions.
The Monument Committee then began to work on another memorial to recognize veterans who served during the Korean War Era (1950-1958), Vietnam War Era (1958-1975) and Post-1975 Service Era (1975-2025). The town held a dedication on Memorial Day 2026 with a finished garden for all to see. Local landscaper, Jim LaMontagne, selected perennial plants from Northern Nurseries that echoed the plants around the first memorial, and generously donated his time and labor to install them just days before the dedication. Today, the Town of Hartford maintains this garden.
The Post World War 2 memorial bears the inscription:
“This memorial honors all who served after WWII, in conflict or in peace. Though records may never be complete, their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
The inscribed bricks laid at the base of both memorials were part of a fundraising effort. Colorful garden beds now surround each brick platform. Both new memorials were designed by Skylight Studios of Woburn, Massachusetts, and incorporate restored cast-iron elements from the original World War I memorial, all salvaged from the basement of the Hartford Historical Society, including the eagle, the “World War” plaque, and the Vermont state seal.
While some perennials (especially regionally native) can tolerate drought once established, the new plantings require extra watering for the first few years. Veterans Park does not have running water, and droughts are a regular summer occurrence.
Hartford Garden Friends volunteers fill dozens of gallon jugs at home, load them into and out of their cars, transport them to the park, and carry them all the way to the memorial gardens to make sure the plants are hydrated and cared for. Other tasks include regular weeding, mulching, soil maintenance, and editing the gardens’ plants to include more regionally native and pollinator-friendly species.
People who walk in the park frequently stop to express their gratitude to any volunteers working in the gardens, and Hartford Garden Friends is proud to partner with the town and community groups to accomplish beautiful projects like this.
Reach out if you would like to volunteer Hartford Garden Friends, even if you’re new to gardening, hartfordgardenfriends@gmail.com … no experience necessary!
If you would like to volunteer with us, even if you’re new to gardening, please email hartfordgardenfriends@gmail.com … no experience necessary!
Special thanks to Mary Kay Brown, Martha Cain, Nancy Davis, other HGF members for information and photos, and the below sources:
