The Restoration

A Yankee Tinkerer

by C. A. Chicoine

An Exclusive Interview with Carl Robare

On October 19, 2005, I met with Carl Robare at his home in Stamford, Vermont. We discussed the work he did on the Soldiers' Monument.

I first met Carl a number of years ago. My mother worked with his wife, Jane, in the hospital. I'd see her when I'd visit my mother at work, and on a few cross-country ski jaunts on their acreage. And I also remember stopping by their home on my way through the area on my 10-speed a number of times. And I was fortunate enough to have seen the monument in his garage (the first time).

And now, over 15 years later, I have the opportunity to visit with two of the most wonderful folks anyone could ever meet. And I genuinely mean that. Still, I was very nervous. He hadn't seen this website yet, and I wasn't sure what was going through his mind in regards to my interest in this important part of North Adams history.

What was presented to me was a researchers dream come true. Not only had he a scrap book chock-full of articles pertaining to the monument, he had photographs of the different stages of development in the reconstruction of the Soldier–both times.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Mr. Robare was was born in the Braytonville section of North Adams in 1923, and from age six grew up in the Briggsville section of Clarksburg. He graduated from Drury High School in 1942, served in the Army for four years, and then spent 31 years as a technician with the New England Telephone Company, until his retirement in 1984. He has experimented with–and built–wind mills and solar panels in the 1970's.

He has been active in the community over the years, serving on the School Committee, Zoning Board, and Volunteer Fire Department.

And that is just the tip of the iceberg. His ideas, experiences, and accomplishments could fill a book. And what a read it would be!

As I thumbed through the scrap book of photos of the monument, Carl sorted through manila envelopes containing more gems. I was truly overwhelmed with joy. Not wanting to overstay my welcome, I asked if I could scan the articles and materials in my computer later so that I could ask him the questions that I came prepared with to ask. He obliged me.

Craig: Why and how did you get involved with rebuilding the monument?

Carl: It was something that was important to me. It went down. And that's when I suggested to the writer (Michael E. Burke) to write something about this. (To read article go to "100 Years" page of this website). A couple of years went by, looking for a replacement statue, or for somebody to fix it. They advertised in Yankee Magazine...and all over the place. There were a lot of people that said it couldn't be fixed. And they had some estimates that were way out of line, as far as replacing it. And they advertised in communities to see if they had a statue of the same type. And they didn't get any answer. We kept reading about it in the paper. And I said to Jane, one day; "You know what? They're going no place. I think that I can take a look at that, and fix it." She said, "Well, why don't you?"

So I contacted Dick Lamb, he was the mayor at the time, and Art Spencer, his son-in-law, (I knew Art). I said to Art; "I'll take a look at that...see if it's possible." We went over to the sewage disposal plant, where they had it stored for a couple of years, and I looked at it and I said, "Bring it up the house. I think that I can do it. If I can't, you're no farther than where you are now. You've still got a bunch of pieces...you're not out anything."

So, they brought it up. And I decided on how I was going to do it. I got it ready for its rededication on its original anniversary date, for 1981; a hundred and three years later.

Craig: Did you experiment with samples, or did you know straight off how you were going to reconstruct this?

Carl: The first time I did. I wanted to come up with a material that was actually the same color as the marble. So I used marble sand and White Portland Cement. Local material. And it worked out great.

Craig: What of the brown freestone pedestal? Could that not be repaired?

Carl: I offered to do that the first time I had worked on the statue. I even got some brown pigment, concrete pigment. Yes, the emblem there really needs repairing. I said to them, "I"ll repair it if you want it done." They never took me up on it. It's so strange... the first time I did it [repaired the soldier] everybody makes a big thing about getting something done. But after it's done, they lose interest in it.

Back in 1981, when I did it the first time, they were going to put an iron fence around it. Never got done. The second time, in 1999, I fixed it again. And John Barrett said we're gonna put the fence. I even drew up a diagram how I thought the fence should go. They had fencing; the first time they had some fencing from the era. There was a house up on West Main Street, where K-M Motors is, and that was surrounded by a cast iron fence.

[That fence was located at the North Adams Museum of History and Science at the time of this interview. As of June of 2011, a new fence was installed using Carl's blueprint.]

Carl: The second time, they had a fence like they made around the library. I drew up a diagram. I said, This is the way to do it. And it never got done. Of course, once the interest is gone...[it is forgotten].

Craig: What were your impressions the second time around?

Carl: There's a picture in there (searching through one of the folders laid out before us on the table) when it came down the second time. (Laughs) I walked into the coffee shop the next morning. John Barrett was there, and he said, "Whatta ya think? Think you can restore it?" And I said, "Let's go up and look at it."

And I said, " Aw...man, oh man." The time before, the legs were broken off. But they were in one piece. There were a lot of things broken off. But, again, they were in one piece. But this time, the legs were shattered. A lot of stuff shattered, and a lot of stuff missing. The last time, all I had to do was attach the legs to the base, attach the torso to the legs...you know...I drilled the holes with rods. I had most of the musket. But this time, there was stuff shattered.

I said to Barrett, "I don't know. I'm going to take the head home." They took the rest of it to the city garage. So, I brought the head home and I worked on it. And I said, "Alright, I'm going to have them bring the rest of it up."

Craig: You used the same materials?

Carl: The second time I used the same materials, but I had to make a lot of parts. The base that it's on, that is brand new. One whole leg and half of the other leg is new. The first time I just put rods in the legs, and a rod in the rifle. So, it had three points like a tripod. The second time, I put three galvanized steel rods into it. I had to build a metal support for it to stand it up before I poured the new base cast and put the new legs on. It's held up well over the last five years. It's maintained the color. Every couple of years I go up there and waterproof it.

Craig: I see from your scrapbook that you were quite the celebrity.

Carl: When the Associated Press picked it up, it went all over the country. People sent me copies of the articles from all over the place.

Just to get an idea of the coverage, here are some of the newspapers and publications that featured Carl Robare's efforts back in 1981.

• The Phonix Gazette
• Louisville Kentucky Times
• The Dallis Morning News
• Middletown Ohio Journal
• Springfield Union
• The Stars & Strips (Authorized Unofficial publication for US Armed Forces)
• Times (Reading, Pennsylvania)
• New Haven, Conneticut Register
• Bay Stater & Green Mountainer ( New England Telephone newsletter )
• The Transcript (North Adams, Massachusetts)
• The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
• Carl has graciously allowed me to copy some of his personal photographs taken of the monuments' reconstructions to post on this site. His contributions have been invaluable. I was truly honoured to have spent this time talking with him about a passion dear to our hearts.

First Restoration 1980

Second Reconstruction 2000