WORCESTER — A new granite and metal marker now greets drivers heading up Grafton Street, as the city unveiled a neighborhood sign celebrating Worcester’s historic Grafton Hill.
City officials announced Friday that the installation was funded through the CSX Community Investment Fund, part of an ongoing effort to enhance neighborhood identity and public spaces across the city.
“This new marker is a great way to showcase pride in our Grafton Hill neighborhood,” City Manager Eric D. Batista said in the announcement. “Residents and visitors alike will be greeted with a welcome to the historic Grafton Hill neighborhood as they make their way up Grafton Street. This marker is an example of our efforts to enhance our neighborhoods and public spaces and inspire civic pride.”
The design was completed by Serrato Signs, with granite provided by Empire Granite and installation by Jam Corp.
District 3 Councilor George Russell said the sign represents both the neighborhood’s past and its future.
“Grafton Hill has been a welcoming neighborhood in Worcester for generations, growing with the city over the years,” Russell said in the city’s release. “This sign will serve as a monument displaying Grafton Hill’s resilience for generations to come. Using a portion of the CSX Community Investment Fund to continue to welcome everyone to Grafton Hill is fitting.”
Russell also thanked Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson for her support, as well as Batista and Parks, Recreation & Cemetery Commissioner Robert Antonelli and his staff for seeing the project through.
