Fundraiser held for Medford Revolutionary War heroine Sarah Bradlee Fulton statue
Looking Back at Medford’s History Inc. hosted a May 21 event fundraiser for a statue of Medford Revolutionary War heroine Sarah Bradlee Fulton to be placed in front of City Hall.
By Saoirse Stallings
If you were in the Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library last Wednesday night, you may have heard the buzz of mingling citizens and history buffs coming from Bonsignore Hall. Inside, were a number of unique auction items, a plethora of historical-backed artifacts, and a patriotic-themed birthday cake.
Hosted by Looking Back at Medford’s History Inc., the May 21 event was a fundraiser for a statue of Medford’s own Revolutionary War heroine Sarah Bradlee Fulton to be placed in front of City Hall.
The non-profit’s President and founder Laura Duggan spoke, highlighting the efforts for the statue’s creation.
“Honoring Sarah, [the statue] is a beautiful work of art and I think it will add a lot to the community of Medford,” said Duggan.
The statue of Sarah Bradlee Fulton has been sculpted by Robert Shure, of Skylight Studios Inc., located in Woburn. Shure was introduced and praised for his work at the event and educated the crowd on the steps taken to originate the bronze statue.
The event also hosted a guest speaker, Anthony Sammarco, a historian and respective author of over 75 books that highlight New England history and development. Sammarco gave a brief presentation that included Fulton’s timeline and the events of the Revolutionary War.
“Everyone knows the story of the Boston Tea Party, yet few have heard of Medford’s Sarah Bradlee Fulton. Credited with the idea of disguising the men who participated as Indians, Sarah dressed them in Native American clothing and later disposed of their disguises,” said Sammarco.
“Like the Boston Massacre, this was a major mark and, of course, Sarah Fulton was a part of it. During the period of the 1770s, the Intolerable Acts, also known as the Coercive Acts, were a series of four laws passed by the British parliament in 1774 to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.”
A few of the items auctioned off at Looking Back at Medford’s History Inc.’s May 21 event. GOTTA KNOW MEDFORD STAFF PHOTOS/SAOIRSE STALLINGS
The silent auction portion of the night was extremely successful. Purchased items included paintings by Duggan, Bob Hyldburg’s (vice president of the nonprofit) published encyclopedias on the New England Patriots, historical books by Sammarco, GrandTen Medford Rum (brewed exactly as it was in the 18th century), a basketball signed by Boston Celtics own Larry Bird, and many more gems.
Happy birthday, May!
The event also celebrated the 95th birthday of Medford resident May Marquebreuck, a dedicated member of the arts and culture community of the city, who founded The Coalition for Arts, Culture, and a Healthy Economy (CACHE), as well as the Friends of the Chevalier Theatre.
Marquebreuck is also the 2007 winner of the Medford Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year, president and founder of ArtsAlive, and celebrated inductee of the Mustangs Hall of Fame.
Marquebreuck was given a birthday proclamation by Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn, to recognize all her “benefactress” aid.
To join the donations for the Sarah Bradlee Fulton statue, visit www.lookingbackatmedfordhistory.com.
