Kent Groups Join Forces to Honor Daniel Nimham

Volunteers in Kent are hoping to raise enough funds to erect a statue of Sachem Daniel Nimham at Veterans Memorial Park in Kent, much like the one shown here that now stands in Fishkill.

A committee consisting of members of the Kent Conservation Foundation, Kent Public Library, Kent Historical Society and Arts on the Lake seeks to raise $75,000 to commission a statue of Sachem Daniel Nimham.

Nimham was the final sachem (chief) of the Wappinger people and one of America’s first combat veterans during the Revolutionary War – fighting alongside the Continental Army against the British. and a leader and advocate for the enforcement of land treaties.

In June 2022, the Town of Fishkill erected an 8-foot bronze statue by Michael Keropian, an award-winning sculptor and Kent resident, and the Kent committee is raising funds to commission Keropian to create a 4-foot-high version of the statue for installation at Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park on Gypsy Trail Road.

To learn more about Nimham’s history, consider attending an upcoming talk by Keropian on March 1 at 6 p.m. at Kent Public Library.

For more information about this project and to donate, visit www.thekcf.org. Checks may be mailed to KCF at P.O. Box 474, Patterson, N.Y. 12563-0474. All donations are fully tax-deductible.