Governor Patrick Leads Remarks at Ceremony for Bradley Square

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick led a strong cast of dignitaries that appeared in Oak Bluffs on Friday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Bradley Square affordable housing project.

The governor arrived shortly after 4 p.m. to speak on behalf of the Island Affordable Housing Fund and the Island Housing Trust, the two organizations that are responsible for the Bradley Square plan.

Still in the early stages of fund-raising, the project calls for restoring the historic Bradley Memorial Church, the Island’s first African American church, and for building an affordable housing and commercial complex on the Masonic avenue property. Bradley Square backers still need to raise $1.3 million to complete the project.

But on Friday afternoon Islanders and visitors spilled out from under a crowded tent set up next to the church, also known as the Denniston house, to celebrate the ceremonial groundbreaking.

“I want to acknowledge . . . all of those who partnered in making this wonderful occasion happen,” said Governor Patrick. “And by this occasion I don’t just mean the glorious gathering of talent and well-wishers. I mean the occasion of having built this community to rebuild this facility and to expand the opportunity for affordable housing here on the Island. So many in the community worked really hard, and bumped up against each other in order to make this project come to life . . . There is a reason for that discomfort sometimes, and the stepping out of your comfort zone, and the change, because it makes a new opportunity for someone else. And that is what was done in order for us to be here.”

Cape and Islands Rep. Tim Madden was also on hand at the ceremony, and he too spoke of the discord that sometimes accompanied the public review of the Bradley Square plan last year. “If you don’t have the tough campaign, sometimes it’s not as rewarding,” Mr. Madden said. “So with that we battle through, we will get this project done.”

The Cape and Islands representative, who is a Nantucket homeowner, added: “Housing is the most important thing, in my opinion, to the two Islands . . . Without affordable housing we [would not] be the communities that we are today.” He also commented on the diversity of groups that have worked together on the Bradley Square project. “You couldn’t ask for a better collage of opportunities for bringing people together for a worthy cause,” he said.

Harvard Law Prof. Charles Ogletree followed Mr. Madden to the podium. Mr. Ogletree focused on the historic importance of restoring the Bradley Church. “Every child who goes to any school in Martha’s Vineyard will have this as a stopping place, a place to learn about history,” he said. “Not just the 20th century, but all the way back to the 19th century and before. People who had very little, who did so much to make it possible for us to be here today.”

Mr. Ogletree then joined Governor Patrick and Mr. Madden to officially break ground, turning the soil outside the tent with golden shovels. The governor posed for photographs and paused to shake hands with the crowd before departing the Island to return to Boston, where he was scheduled to speak at a memorial for Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

The event continued with the dedication of the three project buildings, not yet completed. The first, planned to be built facing Dukes County avenue, was dedicated to the late Mandred Henry and his wife Laurie Perry-Henry. Mr. Henry was the former president of the Martha’s Vineyard chapter of the NAACP, and his widow serves as current president. When the project is completed, Bradley Square will include office space for the NAACP. “This is a monumental event for the NAACP,” said Ms. Perry-Henry. “We have never ever had a permanent office on this Island since we became a chapter in 1936.”

The second building, which is planned to face Masonic avenue, was dedicated to the late Rufus Shorter and his wife, Vera. Mrs. Shorter rose to address the crowd, reminding everyone that her husband was a dedicated educator and a champion for the expansion of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. “We can’t see him, but we can feel him,” she said of her husband, before thanking affordable housing for the dedication.

The third building, the former Bradley Memorial Church and Denniston home, was renamed the Rev. Oscar E. Denniston Building, in honor of the man who presided over the church. His grandson, the Rev. Dean Denniston, addressed the crowd on behalf of his late grandfather.

“I want to thank all of those who have contributed to the creation of this project, and to recognize the life and work of my grandfather, whose ministry played such an important part in the spiritual life and also in the history of this Island,” he said. He concluded the ceremony by asking the crowd to bow their heads as he led them in a blessing of the property.

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