February 18, 2016

Anne Sullivan Memorial (Feeding Hills/Agawam, MA)

By New England Nomad

Dates Visited: July 11, 2015 and August 22, 2015

Parking: there is a parking lot located next to the memorial with over a dozen or so parking spaces.  There are also parking lots and off street parking nearby.

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Although she is known more for her success as a teacher and most notably working with Hellen Keller in Tuscumbia, Alabama, and Boston, Massachusetts, Anne Sullivan is actually a product of Feeding Hills (a sub section of Agawam), Massachusetts.

I especially like how the trees still have leaves and the flowers are in bloom since I originally took these photos in the summer of last year.  It makes me yearn for the long spring and summer days.

I am never completely satisfied with my photos.  So, I made two trips to this memorial.  My biggest gripe with the first set of photos was there were too many cars and people in the background.  But, even when I went back another day earlier in the daytime there was still a lot of activity.  It is located by a busy intersection so it was unavoidable.  You can see the difference in the shadowing and angle of the sun from my two visits.

Sullivan lost her vision at an early age due to an infectious eye disease.  She would receive a series of treatments which considerably improved her vision while she was a student at Perkins School for the Blind in Boston.  This undoubtedly inspired her to work with other people who were visually impaired and challenged in other ways.

The centerpiece of the park is the monument of Anne Sullivan sitting with Helen Keller. The intensity in her stare is palpable. The sculpture, created by the Romanian-American sculptor Mico Kaufman, captures the moment Anne Sullivan successfully teaches Helen Keller her first word – “water.” The statue was dedicated on June 28, 1992.

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The park is well kept and there are many places to sit.  A gazebo stands off to the side as well.  It would be a peaceful place to relax and unwind, except the fact it is located at a busy intersection.

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There are additional monuments in the park.

This memorial is another tribute to Anne Sullivan’s work with Helen Keller.  The inscription reads, “Anne Sullivan…Teacher of Helen Keller.  Heroic friend of the deaf and blind.  Native of Feeding Hills.”

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This memorial is a tribute to the Agawam Militia who trained on this land during the revolutionary War.  I am always fascinated at how seemingly ordinary places like a busy intersection has so much history and significance.  In fact, the land you are standng on, or the land your house or apartment building was built upon most certainly has a hidden history you are not privy to.

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The trees at the Anne Sullivan memorial Park are very impressive, particularly when they still have their leaves.

The last monument I photographed at the park names the people on the memorial committee.  If you look closely, you may notice the inscription is also written in braille.

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About New England Nomad

Hi I'm Wayne. Welcome to my blog. I am a true New Englander through and through. I love everything about New England. I especially love discovering new places in New England and sharing my experiences with everyone. I tend to focus on the more unique and lesser known places and things in New England on my blog. Oh yeah, and I love dogs. I always try to include at least one dog in each of my blog posts. I discovered my love of photography a couple of years ago. I know, I got a late start. Now, I photograph anything that seems out of the ordinary, interesting, beautiful and/or unique. And I have noticed how every person, place or thing I photograph has a story behind it or him or her. I don't just photograph things or people or animals. I try to get their background, history or as much information as possible to give the subject more context and meaning. It's interesting how one simple photograph can evoke so much. I am currently using a Nikon D3200 "beginner's camera." Even though there are better cameras on the market, and I will upgrade some time, I love how it functions (usually) and it has served me well. The great thing about my blog is you don't have to be from New England, or even like New England to like my blog (although I've never met anyone who doesn't). All you have to like is to see and read about new or interesting places and things. Hopefully, you'll join me on my many adventures in New England! View all posts by New England Nomad
This entry was posted on Thursday, February 18th, 2016 at 1:49 am and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , and posted in Agawam, Anne Sullivan, massachusetts, memorial, memorials, New England, photographs, photography, photos, sculptures, statues, trees, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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