TOWN COMMON 
The other popular error has been to place the soldiers monument 
in the center of the common. The fact that our New England 
soldiers’ monuments exhibit, in general, a very low average of 
artistic taste is somewhat beside the point, though it aggravates 
the bad effect of misplacement. The effect is so unquestionably 
bad that the time will come when many of these monuments will 
be removed to other locations and, let us hope, will be replaced with 
works better typifying the wholesome sentiments which prompted 
the present crop of inadequate sculpture. The tendency to use the 
town common as an appendix to the cemetery and to place com- 
memorative monuments upon it has been somewhat revived in 
present times as communities are seeking to build war memorials 
again for the soldiers of the world war. This makes it all the more 
necessary to emphasize the undesirability of the practice. 
3. The proper location for groups of statuary and similar 
monuments is not in the center of open spaces but in front of or 
connected with public buildings. Occasionally a large monument 
may be placed at the end of a street. Some very good sites for large 
and dignified monuments exist at the exigent angles of triangular 
town commons where they might face directly down an important 
road and where they might usually be given a background of trees 
and shrubbery. 
Other structures of a more trivial nature are sometimes placed 
on the common, but no fair justification of their presence there 
can possibly be offered. Very simple tablets commemorating im- 
portant historic events may be a possible exception, though these 
should usually be located at the outer angles of the common. At- 
tractive guide posts, street lamps, and the customary watering 
troughs should be placed in the same way. 
Necessary Furniture 
A special word may be said about seats. On a great many 
commons seats are in genuine demand. Local circumstances some- 
times make it inexpedient to encourage this demand and to supply 
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