The Drummer Boy: Spirit Of Freedom, Justice, And Equity In Bloomfield

While statues are coming down all around the state and others are being scrutinized, the town of Bloomfield, CT has gone the other direction and returned the Drummer Boy statue and its accompanying geese to his home on the town green. As we approach the 45^th anniversary of the statue’s original dedication along with the 4^th of July weekend, let us focus on unraveling the history and the symbolic significance the Drummer Boy statue represents for the town of Bloomfield, CT, and the nation as a whole.

Continue reading further to learn more.

COMMISSIONED PROJECT OF THE DRUMMER BOY

The statue was removed in late spring of 2019 as part of phase two of the town green renovation for some much-needed repairs and reinstalled in a new location on the southwestern portion of the green on July 2nd. The statue restoration work was performed by Skylight Studios of Woburn, MA, and included:

• Blasting to remove all corrosion
• Re-patination
• New, bronze drum skin replacement
• Incralac and wax coatings

According to town officials, the statue was commissioned by the Bloomfield Bicentennial Commission in November 1974 for execution by Professor Wolfgang Behl of the University of Hartford Art School. Behl used a unique technique in composing the sculpture by welding and shaping bronze strips over a pre-constructed steel rod frame. The central figure of the sculpture — the Brown Drum — is closely associated with Bloomfield’s history. The drums were manufactured on Brown Street by Benjamin Brown, and later by his nephew, Eli Brown. A number of Brown Drums are still in use today, and the Wintonbury Historical Society has two of them, according to town officials.

THE DRUMMER BOY

The Drummer Boy is an 8′ by 6′ by 6.33′ bronze figure of a Revolutionary War drummer sculpted by Wolfgang Behl and dedicated on July 5, 1976. It was a bicentennial project of the citizens of Bloomfield and part of a larger nationwide celebration commemorating the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. A standing male figure, wearing a ponytail, is dressed in a Revolutionary War overcoat and boots. He is holding drumsticks in his hands, right above left, and playing a Revolutionary War drum, that was manufactured by the Brown Drum Company of Bloomfield, suspended from his shoulders. Two geese with outstretched necks, and one with outstretched wings, stand to the right side of the drummer. The trio are standing on a low fieldstone base which is surrounded by vegetation.

There are three plaques, one on the base and two on a rock on the grass to the west of the statue. The plaque on the base is inscribed:

THE BROWN DRUM

MADE IN BLOOMFIELD AND CARRIED

IN THE REVOLUTION SYMBOLIZES

THE SPIRIT OF FREEDOM, JUSTICE

AND EQUALITY WHICH CONTINUES TO

BURN BRIGHTLY IN THIS PROUD

CONNECTICUT TOWN

JUNE 5, 1976

 

On the grass, there are two plaques, one over the other, affixed to a rock. The upper plaque is inscribed:

 

THE VILLAGE GREEN

SYMBOLIZING THE BEGINNINGS AND

CENTER OF COMMUNITY LIFE

THE BLOOMFIELD VILLAGE GREEN

HAS EXISTED SINCE THE 1700’S

RESTORED BY WINTONBURY PARK

REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

WINTONBURY PARISH 1735

TOWN OF BLOOMFIELD 1835

1963-1973

BLOOMFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY

 

The lower plaque is inscribed:

 

THE DRUMMER BOY

WOLFGANG BEHL, SCULPTOR

FOR THE BICENTENNIAL COMMITTEE

JUNE 1976

FINAL THOUGHTS

There is more to the Drummer Boy statue than meets the eye of the beholder. The monument embodies the core principle of the American Independence and individual freedom. We hope you enjoyed the article. Please feel free to leave us a comment below.

On behalf of Soma tech Intl, we wish you a happy 4^th of July weekend!