LYNN — A large piece of stone that once sat on the site of General Electric’s Factory of the Future has been converted into a monument honoring Harry Agganis and placed in the West Lynn square that bears his name.
Old Neighborhood Foods CEO Thomas Demakes noticed the stone, which had been moved to a location near Old Neighborhood’s Waterhill Street headquarters.
A longtime benefactor and trustee of the Agganis Foundation, Demakes arranged for a bronze plaque featuring photos of Agganis in his Red Sox and Boston University uniforms, with the following words:
“From humble beginnings on Waterhill Street, Harry Agganis became one of the best athletes of his era. An All-American quarterback at Lynn Classical and Boston University, he was the starting first baseman for the Boston Red Sox when he died in 1955 at age 26. His legacy will live forever.”
The plaque, which was designed by Tim McDonough of McDonough Company, was mounted on the stone and installed last week on the new traffic island at the intersection of Federal and Waterhill streets, steps from where Agganis grew up. A light shines on it, ensuring it is visible in the heavily traveled area at all times.
Agganis’ legacy lives on through the 1,002 student-athletes who have received college scholarships from the Agganis Foundation, which has awarded $2.16 million in scholarships since 1958.
