November 14, 2022

The William W. Fahey American Legion Post 491 will conduct a rededication of the WWI Monument located on the property of Mary D. Lang Kindergarten Center at the corner of Center and West Mulberry Streets on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 4 p.m. Community members are invited to honor those who fought for our freedom at a WWI monument rededication ceremony.

“The monument, which was installed in 1940, will be rededicated with a wreath-laying ceremony and a 21-gun salute in honor of our fallen comrades in World War I and all wars since,” said Post No. 491 First Vice-Commander Bill Taylor.

Reverend Jim Mundell, a Pennsylvania National Guard Veteran, past minister of Hamorton and West Grove Methodist Church, and presently at Jenner’s Pond Retirement Community, will speak. Ed Fahey, 94-year-old Legion veteran and past mayor of Kennett Square, will also give a short address. Ed Fahey is related to William Fahey, after whom American Legion Post 491 is named.

Although this community organization bears his name, very few know who William W. Fahey was or the significance of his story in Kennett Square’s history.

“William W. Fahey was the first Kennett Square resident killed in World War I,” Taylor said. “He lived on Birch Street and was a local painter and worked in one of the mills. He was in Belgium less than a month when he was killed. He was buried there, and two years later they brought his body home. It was the biggest funeral Kennett has ever seen, with people lining the streets to pay their respects.”

Center Street (between W. Mulberry Street and W. Cedar Street) will be closed from 3 to 5 p.m.