Anna Maria College Seeks to Relocate Memorials Ahead of Bankruptcy Sale
Anna Maria College, a shuttered institution in Paxton, Massachusetts, is seeking permission from a federal judge to relocate several memorials on its campus before it goes up for sale in bankruptcy. The college has filed a court document stating that the donors of the memorials have agreed to the plan, which would see them moved to various locations both within and outside of town.
The Worcester 6 Memorial, honoring six city firefighters who perished in the 1999 Worcester Cold Storage Fire, will be relocated to a site designated by the Worcester Fire Department. A 20-foot white cross will also be moved, but six living maples planted as memorials are too large to relocate.
The college has arranged for its 9/11 memorial, which includes a granite monument and silver maple 'Freedom Tree', to be relocated to the Paxton Fire Department grounds. The Molly Bish Memorial, established in 2024, will be moved to Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner at the request of the Bish family.
The Home Depot has agreed to fund the relocation of these memorials, while Empire Granite of Worcester will transport them and perform the physical removal. The final monument, The Grotto, a 1955 Roman Catholic devotional structure, may be relocated to the Worcester Diocese, although details are still being worked out.