01940 Fall 2022

FALL 2022 | 41
BY ANNE MARIE TOBIN
PHOTOS BY SPENSER HASAK
Lynnfield is known as a friendly
community with a welcoming
civic, cultural, and charitable
spirit; it's a town that prides
itself on volunteerism. The cornerstone of
the community is the Town Common, on
which the 1714 Meeting House proudly
stands.
But, take a minute before visiting the
Meeting House to appreciate another
iconic piece of Lynnfield's history, one
that has been greeting Main Street travelers
and passerby for the last 115 years: the
horse trough.
Erected in 1907, the trough stands
about four feet high atop a concrete slab.
In its early years, it served as a spot where
horse-led carriages could stop for a cool
drink before continuing on their way to
their final destinations.
It also served as a primitive navigational
tool for travelers unfamiliar with the area.
The front facade originally featured three
directional arrows pointed to the right
that directed you to Pillings Pond, Lynn,
and the Turnpike via South Common
Street. An arrow pointed to the left tells
you to stay on Main Street to get to
Middleton.
Village Home & Garden Club of Lynnfield Co-President Carol Schelzi adds flowers to the horse trough at the
corner of Lynnfield Common.
Village Home & Garden Club of Lynnfield Co-President
Sue Cullen uses an electric leaf blower to clean up after
she planted fresh flowers with Co-President Carol
Carol Schelzi.
Fast forward to the 21st century, and —
thanks to Village Home & Garden Club
of Lynnfield’s co-presidents Carol Schelzi
and Sue Cullen — who have transformed
the trough into what can best be described
as a window box on steroids.
"We've been decorating the trough
since May of 2020, just before the high
school graduation in the first year of the
pandemic," said Schelzi. "One day, my
son literally said it was a wreck with mold
all over it. We had all these posters of the
graduates lining the perimeter of the common,
but the trough just looked terrible.
"Sue and I thought, why not fill it up
with flowers and beautify it? Kirk Mansfield
(historical commission chair) had
done wonders with the Meeting House
and Pope Richard House, so it was a
natural next step toward beautifying the
common."
While the women took it slowly at first,
it didn't take long for them to take the
MIRACLE, continued on page 42