New fixture replaces one that was possibly stolen
Monday, August 20 will mark 55 years since the Stewart family of Minden donated land to Webster Parish to form Stewart Park in Minden’s Historic Residential District.
To commemorate the occasion, a dedication for the brand new armillary installed at the park will take place 10 a.m. Monday. The Rev. Sally Fox of St. John’s Episcopal Church will perform the dedication, and afterward refreshments will be served in the Stewart building.
Leslie Rainer, president of the Minden Historic Residential District, said the old armillary had been missing for at least five years before the new one was installed.
“I found the armillary on the ground in the park where it had either blown off or was torn off,” she said. “I believe the City of Minden reattached it, but then it got stolen or blown off again. The park looked like it was in disrepair while it was missing, with the concrete post just sitting there. Now the park looks better again.”
Roger Pitman at Pitman Metal Works designed and created the new armillary, donating the time, labor, and material. It was powder-coated by Perryman Welding Services.
“One of the things I wanted to do when I became president of the historic district was to do some facelift work in our neighborhood,” Rainer said. “We’re really proud of our neighborhood, and we want it to look nice, we want it to attract visitors, and we want visitors here in the district to have a pleasing atmosphere.”