Kaplan’s

fashionable squares. The Committee report states: “[the fountain drawing] has been much admired by our citizens and has met with such general approval and is so suitable for our square that the committee unhesitatingly recommends its adoption in case a fountain is placed therein.” In the spring and early summer of 1870, The Easton Express and Centennial newspapers announced that the town council had decided in favor of having a fountain placed in the newly vacant town square. The huge iron fountain featured 3 nymphs supporting the upper tier with winged horses on the lower level. The fountain’s life in the middle of town was short lived. In the years following the end of the Civil War, public sentiment was raised to honor those who had died or participated in the conflict; Centre Square was chosen as the location so long as an appropriate spot could be found for the fountain already there. In March 1899, a motion to move the fountain to Nevin Park, a park on College Hill on land gifted to Easton by former mayor David Nevin in 1897, was made by city council to make room for the new impressive structure that was to be built in the Square.

The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument was erected in honor of Northampton County’s “heroes”, the men who served the Union in the Civil War. Centre Square was chosen as the site of the monument primarily because it had been a gathering place for the first volunteers as they went off to fight in the Civil War. Plans for the monument had been presented to the local G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) in 1895 by J.P. Correll. Once the funds had been raised and bids submitted, the Eagle Granite Company

A vintage postcard titled: Centre Square, Easton, Pa. circa 1926 based on the production number - 62311

CENTRE SQUARE... THE “GREAT SQUARE”

in Reading, PA was chosen to construct the monument. A ceremony was held on December 6, 1899 and a copper box containing a history of the 129th PVI, militia rolls, and a copy of a history of Easton was placed into the cornerstone in the base of the monument. Soon after, the monument was placed on the base. Standing at an impressive 75 feet tall with a 26 square foot base, the monument is made of 400 tons of barre granite. Rising from the base are four statues of men representing the infantry, cavalry, artillery and navy; the names of important leaders are carved beside the statues: Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Farragut, Porter, Meade, Hancock and Lincoln, and above these are the names of Civil War battles in which men from Northampton County had fought. Crowning the monument at the top of a smooth column stands a bugler, 10 feet and 3 inches tall, facing west into the setting sun, with his instrument to his lips to sound “Taps” for his fallen comrades. The inscription on the monument reads: “In Honor of the Union, Soldier and Sailor, 1861-1865.”

The dedication of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument took place on May 10, 1900. By eight o’clock in the morning the streets were full of

Farmers’ Market

Now back to the late 1700s… The Great Square served as the perfect location for farmers and merchants to bring fruits, vegetables and wares to sell, though it was not until 1789 that this was dealt with legally. Easton was chartered as a borough in late 1789 and the charter called for markets in the Great Square twice a week; two years later, a public ordinance was passed establishing the public Farmers’ Market. There was once a market house and temporary tables were used as well as their own carriages. A public drinking fountain was added to the square in the summer of 1887, topped with an urn planted with flowers donated by a local gardener, though it was later removed. The market, believed to be the oldest outdoor farmers’ market in the country, continuously operated in the square until 2020 when it was decided to relocate to Larry Holmes Drive at Scott Park as a means to provide more space to spread out and accommodate the health parameters in place at the time to combat the spread of Covid-19. The Easton Farmers’ Market will remain at this new location indefinitely.

people preparing for and celebrating the great event of the day. A parade of veterans and dignitaries who had served the United States in the Civil War walked proudly through the streets of Easton, met by the cheers and enthusiastic applause of observers. As a speaker explained during the unveiling ceremony, “This spot was the last local scene looked upon by most of Northampton’s heroes who gave their lives to their country.” The monument still stands in Easton’s Centre Square, though the fountain it stands within was not part of its original design.