Right in front of you, you’ll spot Vogel Plaza by its wide brick courtyard dotted with leafy green trees and colorful tents-just look for the open gathering space surrounded by buildings at the corner of Main and Central.
Now, as you stand in the middle of Vogel Plaza, imagine the buzz of voices and the clatter of chess pieces-this little square has seen a lot more excitement than you might guess! Named for Virginia Vogel, Medford’s very first city councillor, this spot has been the city’s outdoor living room, a place where history unfolds with every gathering. If you listen closely, you might even hear echoes of the many passionate speeches and chants from rallies for immigrant rights in 2018, or the call for justice on the day after the Attorney General’s resignation. Picture the plaza packed with people waving signs, sharing dreams, or simply coming together for Earth Day to celebrate our one big blue planet. And then, as the evening falls in December 2017, you’d see the warm glow of Medford’s very first menorah lighting, neighbors smiling and candles flickering bravely against the cold. If you wander around, you’ll notice a statue of a man deep in a game of chess-a silent guardian of the plaza, perhaps waiting for a worthy opponent! And in 2019, the spirit of creativity landed here too, as a local artist was chosen to paint a mural on a neighboring wall. In every season, history and art come together in Vogel Plaza; it’s the heartbeat of downtown Medford, where every visit can be a new story.
