ASHLAND — A small, giddy crowd gathered early Thursday morning at the entrance of Downtown Ashland. It was time to witness history.
The city’s very first arch — coming in at 50 feet wide and nearly 30 feet tall — imposed its grand self over Main Street around 8 a.m. as its parents, Lloyd and Norma Wygant, readied themselves to be the first people to drive under it.
Though, technically, Ashland Mayor Matt Miller was the first person to actually drive under the $120,000 adornment.
When the time came, Miller drove a convertible, blue Bill Harris Auto Center Chevy Camaro as the stately couple waved and smiled.
The black arch is hard to miss, but it stands on the east end of Main Street between Union and Arthur streets. It’s a project conceived around three or four years ago, Miller said.
At the time, too many other projects were ongoing for the arch to have financiers, the mayor said. But the Wygants asked him after dedicating the Brookside Golf Course pavilion if there was any other project on his mind.
“I immediately thought of this,” he said, gesturing toward the arch that now stood above him. “I took (the Wygants) the drawings over to their house, in their living room, actually. And Mr. Wygant liked the idea. Mrs. Wygant was a bit hesitant.”
So in true Miller fashion, he drove the couple down to Columbus, to the capital’s Short North Arts District neighborhood — where arches practically make a tunnel down High Street and serve as the Ashland arch’s vision.
Miller said the trip paid off. That was a little less than a year ago.
“And now it’s done,” he said.
Norma Wygant said she didn’t like the arches in Columbus. She thought it was something Ashland could do better — and just one arch makes a bolder statement.
Miller said the arch will likely be the only one in Ashland. Another down near Claremont Avenue doesn’t make sense because of the busyness around that intersection, he said.
The arch, installed by Simonson Construction, is lighted. There are several lightbulbs that line the bottom of it. And the “Ashland” letters, fabricated by Harris Welding, will also be lighted when it gets dark.
The letters, painted white, could be temporary. They could be painted black or a darker color to make them stand out more against a bright sky, Miller said.
Before the crowd dispersed, the Wygants hinted at another project that will benefit “the kids.” Miller was eager to give more details, but bit his tongue and encouraged everyone to stay tuned for more excitement in the near future.
And why did the Wygants donate the money for Ashland’s first and only arch?
“We’ve been here a long time,” Lloyd Wygant said, still sitting atop the Hot Wheels Edition Chevy Camaro.
His wife chimed in: “We just want to give back.”
