Yesterday morning the Friends of Hemlock Gorge held one of their twice a year volunteer cleanups of the park. Evan Westrate, one of the regular volunteers, climbed down below the Needham side of Echo Bridge to pull some trash out of the bushes and found this leather case.
When he opened it up, he found what looked like a disintegrated violin inside mixed with some leaves and other debris from the woods. What really piqued everyone’s interest though was the sticker inside that said that it was handmade instrument from Germany.
After the cleanup, we took the instrument to our neighborhood experts up the street at Carriage House Violins to find out if this was a historical find of a priceless musical instrument.
First off , we found out that it was a viola not a violin. Secondly, they quickly determined that this was a garden variety instrument, not the work of a master craftsman – despite the “Hand made in Germany” sticker.
We’re guessing that junior was fed up with viola lessons, tossed their instruments off the bridge and told mom and dad that the instrument was stolen or lost.
It’s a bit disappointing but it’s still the best trash find in Hemlock Gorge in some time.
What a find- too bad about the violin’s provenance- I liked your imagined story, that was good enough for me
This could belong to the family of the Ghost of Echo Bridge. Maybe it should be returned?
From Makers of the Mold: “I have vivid recollections of the ‘ haunted house’. It stood near Charles River, and I recall the stories of a child having been murdered within its walls, and of noises and rockings of cradles heard nights, disturbing the slumbers of its occupants. And also the tales about a ‘baby ghost’ which appeared on a rock in the river opposite the haunted house. It was naked, and would rapidly pass back and forth from the rock to the water for an hour, and then disappear for the day. The ghost was about as large as a ten-months-old child. Hundreds vent daily to what was then called Needham Bridge, to watch it. All could see it pass back and forth from the rock to the water; no one saw it go away, but it always disappeared…”
http://www.hemlockgorge.org/FHG_Makers_of_the_Mold/MakersStreetsBridgesParks.htm
Hoss – It’s probably too late for this year but I think for next Halloween we should bring back the Ghost of Echo Bridge for the night”