Lt. Col. Seth Heywood (1887-1938) Gardner’s Ranking Officer During World War I

World War I began for the United States in April of 1917, when we joined the Allied forces and declared war on Germany and the other Central Powers. By this time the Allied and Central Powers had already been facing each other in three years of trench warfare. American troops did not arrive in Europe until six months after the declaration of war, and most of these troops did not see any serious action until the following spring.

Over 700 people from Gardner served in World War I, one of whom was Seth Heywood who was the senior officer from the community. Seth Heywood was the direct descendant of one of Gardner’s first settlers who held the same name, and was the third in a direct line of the Heywood family to bear the name Seth. He attended the Gardner public schools, and after graduating from Gardner High he entered Williams College. His home during a part of his youth was located on Reservoir Hill. The house was built by Seth’s father, and at the time was considered one of the most impressive structures in town. Known as “the Castle,” the house was partially constructed with pink granite and most of the interior woodwork was hand carved.

After graduating from college, Seth Heywood entered the furniture-manufacturing business to which the Heywood family had been connected for nearly a century. His first position at Heywood-Wakefield was in the shops. In 1912, he was elected director of the company and ten years later he became a vice president. However, during some of the intervening time between his two executive positions Heywood provided his country with military service. Even before the United States formally declared war against Germany, Seth Heywood volunteered for military service. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve and within a few months received the rank of captain. In the summer of 1918, Heywood was sent to France where he received the rank of major and was assigned as the commander of a machine gun company.

Soon after his return from Europe, Heywood was asked by veterans in Gardner to form an American Legion post, a request directed to him because he was the ranking officer in town. Heywood responded by forming a committee during the summer of 1919 to draft a constitution and by-laws for a post. By that fall American Legion Post 129 was organized with Seth Heywood as its first commander. The new post had 140 members its first year, plus an active women’s auxiliary. Meetings were held at a rented hall on the third floor of The Gardner News building. Seth Heywood served a two-year term as commander and was asked by the Post’s nominating committee to serve a second term. However, he refused the nomination, feeling that he had contributed to the Post’s early organization and that it was off to a successful start.

In 1949 the American Legion Post 129 purchased a building at the corner of Elm and Pearl Streets for its new headquarters. The building was one of Gardner’s most attractive Victorian homes. It was built in 1866 by Levi Heywood, Gardner’s pioneering industrialist and one of the original founders of Heywood-Wakefield, and a great uncle of Post 129’s first commander. For nearly half a century, Gardner’s American Legion Post enjoyed its headquarters on Elm Street. Then, in September of 1973, the main portion of the Victorian structure was destroyed by fire. For the next three years Post 129 was forced to maintain its headquarters in an attached hall which was the original building’s barn. This section had not been destroyed by the fire. However, this setback was not permanent, for within a year plans were made for a new structure to be constructed on the foundation of the Post’s original building. The project began in the spring of 1975, with Post 129 members donating their labor and skills. Within a year, the present structure was completed with the dedication ceremonies taking place on Memorial Day, 1976.