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The
Monument to Woodstock is the 37.5 acre parcel of land known around the world  as
the original
Woodstock Site. It stands as a
testament to the cultural, social, and historical events that transpired the
weekend of August 15-17, 1969, in Bethel, Sullivan County, N.Y.
In
the years that followed the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival, there has been an
absence of any road signs or symbols pointing out the exact location where this
historical event took place, but in  spite
of this, thousands of visitors from around the world, continue to make their
way back to “the Garden”.
In 1984, a marker was set at the foot of this field - located at the corner of
Hurd and West  Shore
Roads. The vision of Bethel town
historian Bert Feldman and Arthur Shubert,
both alumnus of the Woodstock security force in 1969 - the determination
and talent of welder Wayne Saward - and the support of then land owners Louis
Nicky and June Gelish, saw this marker take its place 15 years after the
original festival.
Designed
and sculpted by Wayne Saward, the marker is constructed of cast iron and
concrete, weighing 5-˝ tons. Its
face measures 74 X 47 inches, and is topped with the Woodstock “dove on guitar
neck” logo. Below, 3 embossed
steel plates, denoting the event and performers, are
held in place by titanium alloy screws. The
marker, which cost $650 and funded by Louis Nicky, obtained town permits, and
took its place as a cornerstone to a Monument, to mark the 15th
anniversary of the
1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Festival. It
is truly a monument worthy of a marker.
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