American Legion Post 24 hall undergoes facelift
By Candace Paris
Visitors enjoy food at the newly refurbished Legion Post 24 hall. (Canton Veterans Dept. photo)
Occupying a small niche behind Canton High School and hard by the school’s tennis courts, the American Legion Edward J. Beatty Post 24 hall isn’t exactly a prominent town landmark. Yet veterans have been finding their way to the spot for relaxation and togetherness ever since it opened in 1947. If Canton Veterans Agent Arafat Knight has his way, even more former members of the military, both men and women, will be spending time there now that its social spaces have a fresh look.
Knight keeps close tabs on the needs of area veterans. In addition to his role as veterans agent, Knight is also commander of the Post, a position he has filled for two years. His job responsibilities, combined with his own experience in the Marines, make him keenly aware of the kinds of support that veterans need. About two years ago, he learned that Walter Molis, a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War and lifelong member of the Legion, had fallen and would be needing changes to his home to make it handicap-accessible and safe for him to live in.
The Home Depot in Norwood stepped in. Backed up by a corporate-wide focus on supporting veterans through its foundation, the store selected Molis, a longtime resident of Canton, as a veteran who should receive benefits. A plan was made to rip up the old carpet that dominated his home and replace it with laminated flooring, plus install grab bars as needed. Sadly, before the plan could be implemented, Molis died in February 2024.
With the grant already in place, Knight realized that the money could perhaps assist in making the Legion hall’s social spaces more welcoming. He and his assistant, Cynthia Maddestra, made a presentation to The Home Depot proposing that the funds instead be put toward needed renovations. Following an inspection, representatives from The Home Depot agreed, and a plan was made for the work to be done.
In the members lounge, the ceiling needed to be lowered and ceiling tiles installed to help reduce the noise level. Carpeting, which had originally been installed for sound proofing, would be removed and laminated flooring substituted. A light gray/dark gray paint color scheme to replace the brown walls was planned to make the space lighter and to coordinate with the upstairs large gathering space. The exterior of the building would remain mostly unchanged, other than improvements to the patio outside the lounge, including concrete re-surfacing, an eight-foot extension of the space and the addition of fencing.
Arafat Knight’s dog Jordan relaxes on the new patio at the Legion Post 24 hall. (Candace Paris photo)
In late August, the building shut down for a week to allow the main work on the project to be done. A crew from The Home Depot provided some of the labor, but volunteers provided much of the energy and expertise. Knight’s brother contributed electrical work, and Canton DPW did the digging and concrete work on the patio and installed fencing as a safety measure, given the now steep drop bordering the space.
The project came to a total of $11,000 in donated materials, which included patio furniture and cushions and a propane fire pit. An additional week was needed to make the space fully presentable by re-installing the bar and making some changes in the décor.
One change Knight made was to place the portrait of Edward J. Beatty, U.S. Army (1892-1913), in a prominent place near the entry door. A collection of license plates representing other Legion posts that members had visited had previously been on display, lending a dive bar atmosphere more than the welcoming space Knight was aiming for.
The building re-opened just before Labor Day, and the reaction has been uniformly positive. Knight said he had previously heard “some concerns with the changes happening,” but that everyone seems to enjoy the lighter look and the move away from the darker, general feel of “your grandfather’s bar,” as he put it.
Knight reported that some patrons mentioned already seeing new faces. This is a good sign as the goal is to attract the younger generation and increase memberships. Now open to the public, the Post offers a bar, a horseshoe pitch, cribbage on Wednesdays, karaoke or live entertainment on Fridays, and a meat raffle (including varied prizes) on Saturdays. Meals cooked onsite are available for purchase on Fridays and Saturdays, with Knight’s mother filling the role of chef.
For a building that appears to have been originally constructed in the early 1900s, if not earlier, possibly as a carriage house, it seems solid and ready to serve for years to come. Designated as the Legion Post in 1947 following the destruction by fire of the original building at Bolivar and Washington streets — which had hosted the Post since its 1909 founding — the freshened-up facility is now ready to welcome the public as well as veterans and their families and friends.
For more information about membership types or the upstairs event rental space (100-person maximum capacity), call manager Julie Wedge at 781-828-9766.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=127312
Posted by Candace Paris
on Oct 11 2024. Filed under News.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
