In Connecticut, a Tribe May Demolish a 1928 Building To Restore its Burial Ground.
After a protracted battle, a monument to one of America's oldest fraternal organizations may soon be demolished to restore an even older, more sacred resource: a tribal burial ground.
In August, a state commission decreed that the 1928 Masonic Temple in Norwich, Conn.,—a massive neoclassical building with fluted columns and elaborate details—could come down so that the Mohegan Nation can reclaim land it has long considered desecrated. The tribe's 17th-century leader, Uncas, and others are buried on the 3.4-acre site, but a 19th-century monument to Uncas has been the only prominent indication of the site's tribal history. Both the temple and the burial ground are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as contributing resources in the Chelsea Parade historic district.
Read entire article at nationaltrust.org
In August, a state commission decreed that the 1928 Masonic Temple in Norwich, Conn.,—a massive neoclassical building with fluted columns and elaborate details—could come down so that the Mohegan Nation can reclaim land it has long considered desecrated. The tribe's 17th-century leader, Uncas, and others are buried on the 3.4-acre site, but a 19th-century monument to Uncas has been the only prominent indication of the site's tribal history. Both the temple and the burial ground are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as contributing resources in the Chelsea Parade historic district.