The following update shares work that has been performed over the summer to preserve memorials on the front lawn and to address clock tower safety concerns.

Preservation of AHS Memorials
The Building Committee formed a Memorials Subcommittee in 2018 to evaluate all memorials on the school grounds (interior and exterior), some dating back a hundred years. The Building Committee recognizes the significance of these memorials and the emotions associated with them, and wants to maintain their history and treat them with reverence. The Memorials Subcommittee worked to identify all memorials and the people they were acknowledging. When possible, associated family members were contacted.

With construction on the front lawn now fully underway, most of the area is fenced off. Some memorials are located outside the construction zone and have been fenced off to avoid any damage. Memorials that were inside the construction zone have been collected and safely stored away during construction.

As landscaping for the new grounds is finalized, the project team will work to incorporate these items into the design, unless the family members have chosen not to re-integrate the memorial. This process will continue through each phase of building.

If community members have any information pertaining to memorials located on the AHS site, please contact memorialcommittee@arlington.k12.ma.us.

Removal of Clock Tower Balustrades
After standing for many years atop Arlington High School, the clock tower has started to succumb to time and weather conditions. Over the past few years, much of the wood comprising the structure has begun to rot and fall apart. With the onset of construction and the vibrations associated with this, some of the wood has fallen. In order to insure the safety of students, staff and workers, the balustrades surrounding the clock tower were removed this summer.

The Building Committee hopes to salvage some parts of the inner clock workings to be used at a later date. Though the mechanics no longer work, the mechanism may be used in another form, breathing new life into the clock.