Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested on these steps in 1964. Charged with trespassing, his “crime” was attempting to join friends for lunch. The Monson Motor Lodge & Restaurant was a “Whites only” establishment. From a jail cell, King wrote to Rabbi Israel Dresner encouraging him to speak out against local injustice. This was also the scene of an infamous hate crime, when a motel owner poured acid into a swimming pool full of anti-segregationists. Both incidents made national news. Historians say the protests were pivotal in raising awareness…
