Downtown sundial rededicated to City of Albany

ALBANY — City officials, including Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard, City Manager Sharon Subadan, and Assistant City Manager Wes Smith, joined with members of the Albany Town Committee of the National Society of Colonial Dames of America in downtown Albany Thursday for the re-installation and re-dedication of a special sundial that sits in between the Albany Municipal Auditorium and the Carnegie Library.

The sundial was first presented to the City of Albany in 1993 to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the National Society of Colonial Dames of American in the state of Georgia, and over the years it had fallen into a state of disrepair and needed to be restored.

According to Lacy Lee, the historical activities chair for the Albany Town Committee, membership recently elected to fund the restoration and cleaning of the existing sundial, and had the sundial removed and taken to the ironworks company that originally manufactured the piece.

Thursday marked the culmination of the restoration process as the sundial was represented to the City of Albany and subsequently put back in its original position by members of the city’s Public Works department that morning.

The actual re-dedication ceremony, which happened at noon, began with remarks from Albany Town Committee Chairman Henrietta Singletary, who reminded those in attendance about the day the sundial was originally presented.

“On Feb. 16 1993 in spite of rain and gray skies, the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the state of Georgia dedicated this sundial to the City of Albany in recognition of the state society’s 100^th anniversary,” said Singletary. “This is one of 17 sundials throughout Georgia in communities that have Colonial Dames chapters. On that day Ms. Sherman Willis, the then Albany Town Committee Chairman, presented to the City of Albany to Mayor Paul Keenan, this sundial commemorating the centennial celebration.”

In addition to commemorating the centennial celebration the sundial was originally dedicated as a reminder of the importance of remembering the history of the nation, which is central to the mission of the Colonial Dames.

“The sundial serves as a representation of past, present and future,” said Singletary. “It’s a wonderful location and a beautiful day, and between the Carnegie Library and the Albany Municipal Auditorium we can see cities and citizens working together. And we see that cities and citizens can accomplish many things.”

In accepting the sundial and giving thanks to the Colonial Dames for having the sundial restored, Hubbard echoed Keenan’s 1993 remarks saying that it was important for every citizen to remember its past and to remember that being a good citizens begins with what we each do on our own.

“We could not have a community without the help and collaboration among people that make our city better,” said Hubbard. “When Mayor Keenan first accepted this sundial in 1993 he said that citizenship begins at home. It is a concrete and significant contribution that adds life to this community. It is the same today. What was true in 93 is still true today.”