From 1934 to 1941 – the years of the Great Depression and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) that gave employment to artists, among others – Mamaroneck High School conceived, commissioned and debuted a series of eight murals on the life and work of writer James Fenimore Cooper, who lived for a time in Mamaroneck and who is known for his depictions of colonial, maritime and frontier life. These include such works as “The Spy,” set at what is now the Jay Heritage Center in Rye; the “Leatherstocking Tales,” the inspiration for some of the murals; and “The Last of the Mohicans,” considered his masterpiece and the subject of a critically and popularly acclaimed 1992 film starring Daniel Day-Lewis.
With the high school slated to begin renovations on April 1 that would cover or destroy the murals, the Mamaroneck Historical Society has launched a GoFundMe page that would raised $175,000 to remove, restore and relocate the murals.
As the GoFundMe organizers say: “The murals were the result of the community coming together in 1934 to design, raise funds and commission these massive paintings that have been seen by thousands of students over the past 81 years. This is our opportunity to come together as a community once again and support the effort to save the murals.”
For more, visit mamaroneckhistoricalsociety.org.
