Resurrecting the Genius Loci: The Spirit of a Place

Some people are tired of cookie-cutter experiences. They want authentic culture, picturesque town squares, refurbished theaters that hold community plays, and beautiful vistas along walkways. They want to bypass the strip malls and big-boxes and experience local and natural character. The Romans called this quality of a place the genius loci, the living spirit who guards a city. Smallwander is about celebrating places that have maintained their genius loci and helping others develop or rediscover their own. 

The marker pictured here commemorates a battle fought after the Revolutionary War by western Massachusetts farmers led by Daniel Shays. The farmers were mostly ex-soldiers who lost their promissory notes for war pay and were unable to keep up with their debts. They were underrepresented in the Massachusetts House and were aggrieved enough to take up arms. The insurrection was enough to catch soon-to-be President Washington’s attention and affected the way that the federal constitution was written. I only learned of it after going back to school at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Our downtown revitalization professor, Dr. Mullin, would often talk about Shays rebellion in class. I came to notice that one of the side streets I took to class in Amherst was Shays St. In short, this was a story that increased my connection to not only Amherst, but to the state and nation as well. Connecting people to the memories of places through something physical like this marker is called placemaking. — John Delconte