Guest columnist Henry W. Rosenberg: We need an arch - Daily Hampshire Gazette
Daily Hampshire Gazette · Henry W Rosenberg · 2026-08-21T18:47:09+00:00 · nguồn gốc
Between 1877 and 1911 Frank Newhall Look was the chief executive of Florence Manufacturing Company, later known as Pro Brush. In memory of Frank Look, his widow, Fannie Burr Look, donated over 150 acres of farmland for the establishment of a park which is open to the public but is not a city park. The park receives no tax money but is on sound financial footing with its endowment and with fees for entrance and for rental of picnic areas and use of a catering hall.
The many amenities now at Look Park include tennis courts, miniature golf, picnic areas, a 15-inch gauge railroad for children, an outdoor theatre, a playground, paddleboats, and a small zoo.
But there is one thing missing. Look Park is not complete without an arch, not a small archway over the entrance from North Main Street but a triumphal arch extending over the entire traffic circle where Bridge Road reaches Route 9. Granite from Stony Creek, Connecticut clad in marble from Vermont will constitute the tallest structure within the city limits of Northampton. As in the case of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, stairs will lead to the top of the arch and visitors will have unobstructed views of the Holyoke Range, Mount Tom, and Sugarloaf. They will also be able to see the puny towers that already exist in Northampton: housing on Conz and Old South streets and the steeples of First Churches and St. Mary’s.
As a way of keeping citizens of Northampton close to our history, hundreds of names will be inscribed in the arch. These will include immigrants from the countries that form the basis of our Massachusetts civilization: England, Scotland, Sweden, Norway, and Germany. Also included will be silhouettes of the heroes on whose shoulders we stand: Christopher Columbus, Jonathan Edwards, Andrew Jackson, and Generals Grant and Eisenhower. Under the arch in the very center of the traffic circle there will be a life-sized replica of Plymouth Rock, coated in gold. Only genuine gold leaf will be adequate; gold-colored paint won’t do.
To inspire our young people, images of important ships will be inscribed in marble. When they tip their heads up they will see the Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria, the Mayflower, and the U.S.S. Northampton. In memory of Frank Newhall Look, a portion of the arch will be inscribed with images of the products of Pro Brush including toothbrushes and toilet brushes. Also, with reference to the company’s work during World War II, there will be images of dummy bayonets which the company sold to U.S. Army training facilities.
With all the names and images there will still be plenty of room left for local entrepreneurs — and multinational corporations — to apply their logos. Each ad will include a QR code allowing the immediate onset of commerce to benefit the sponsors and they will pay an annual fee. On the top of the arch there will be symbols of American freedom such as missiles and assault rifles, also covered in gold.
In the history of Massachusetts there has never been a project as important as the Arch. The first step will be the demolition of the historic Look Park Ballroom to allow the installation of footings to support the weight of the arch.
Finally, on top of the arch we need a heroic statue of a certain American president on his galloping horse.
Henry W. Rosenberg lives in Northampton.