General Josiah Pickett Memorial Grove dedicated at Rockland Trust Plaza

WORCESTER — City officials gathered at the Rockland Trust Plaza Sunday morning to dedicate a permanent memorial to Gen. Josiah Pickett, a Civil War leader and longtime Worcester public servant.

With Civil War Union soldier re-enactor Kevin Tucker retelling the history of Pickett, the official dedication of the General Josiah Pickett Memorial Grove was held at the plaza off Green Street.

The memorial is part of Rockland Trust Plaza, an open-air space at 45 Green St. that connects Polar Park to activity downtown and the Canal District.

The plaza was formerly known as General Pickett Plaza in honor of Worcester native Gen. Josiah Pickett of the 25th Massachusetts Regiment during the Civil War and the city’s former postmaster. The Planning Board in February 2021 approved the design for the new plaza and after partnering with the bank Rockland Trust, the plaza is now publicly known as Rockland Trust Plaza.

The city plans to schedule programming in the plaza including food trucks, live performances and small events.

The plaza also features a water fountain designed as a tribute to the Blackstone Canal. The fountain has a large stone at the top of a replica canal with water that pours from the stone and goes down a series of small falls with Polar Park clearly visible behind the plaza.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Memorial dedication to city's Civil War leader Gen. Pickett held Sunday at Rockland Trust Plaza