Town Square: Finishing Touches - Part II

The stage roof of the Jeffrey P. Ossen Family Foundation Pavilion is taking shape.

Work on the Town Square is progressing with the installation of the trellises, light pylons, and the main structure of the stage roof. The above photo shows two lights flanking the stage. The main support structure is in place, and the roof will be installed in the coming days.

Lights are being installed around the perimeter of the lawn.

The pylons feature perforations to allow light to diffuse from within the columns. They are now positioned around the perimeter of the lawn.

Trellises have been added to the landscaping on both sides of the stage.

Groups of trellises have been installed on both sides of the landscaped areas flanking the stage. These pieces serve both a decorative and a functional purpose. The trellises add height to the landscaped areas, and their red panels echo the red roof of the stage. Red trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) have been planted at their bases and will soon be climbing each trellis.

Weaving Shuttle

Weaving Shuttle by David Boyajian

Another piece of the Town Square is in! This sculpture was created by David Boyajian, a Connecticut artist. The weaving shuttle and thread represents Mansfield's history as the home of the first silk mill in North America. The mill was built around 1810 on nearby Hanks Hill.

Fun fact: Tift (or Sullivan's) Pond in the Town's Albert E. Moss Sanctuary was created as an auxiliary source of water for the mill sometime between 1846-1866.

Read more about Mansfield's silk industry here on the Mansfield Historical Society's website.

For a trail guide of the Moss Sanctuary, click here.

Town Square: Finishing Touches

The Mansfield Town Square

The Mansfield Downtown Partnership and the Town of Mansfield are coordinating the installation of the final pieces of the new Town Square in Storrs Center.

A temporary fence has been installed around the portion of the Town Square in which workers will be adding lights, trellises, and the stage roof. This work is expected to be completed by May 1.

The stage roof will look similar to the above illustration.

The stage roof will complete the Jeffrey P. Ossen Family Foundation Pavilion, located in the southwest corner of the Town Square (near the intersection of Royce Circle and Bolton Road Ext.). When not in use as a stage, the roof will provide shade to the steps and walkway.

The stage will become a focal point of the Town Square, with events such as the Celebrate Mansfield Festival centered around it.

Humming House performed at the 2014 Celebrate Mansfield Festival under a tent.
For the 2015 Festival, the stage roof will be in place.

Additional elements in the works are trellises for the landscaped areas flanking the stage. These sculptural elements will complement the red roof of the stage with red, decorative panels.

Lights will be installed around the lawn disc, adding another sculptural element while providing additional lighting to the center of the Town Square.