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Massachusetts

Leverett

Town of Leverett
9 Montague Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Town Clerk: (413) 548-9150
Tax Collector: (413) 548-9666
Assessor: (413) 548-4945
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Historical Commission Meeting

Monday, June 10, 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm
Town Hall & online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85720560676?pwd=bThuajB1LzFWTG9ndU51WUhGZks1QT09
A meeting of the Historical Commission

Meeting of Historical Commission

Members: (Quorum)

  • Absent: Ann Tweedy
  • Absent: Edie Field, Honorary
  • Absent: Susan Lynton
  • Present: Anne Schuyler, at 7:45 PM
  • Present: Eva Gibavic, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Carole Desanti, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Sara Robinson, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Susan Mareneck, Chair, at 7:00 PM

Also Present:

  • Pleun Bouricius

See original Agenda Draft Minutes * * *

Meeting opened: 7:05 PM

Meeting closed: 8:59 PM

  1. Meeting Preliminaries

  2. Preservation Planning for Historical Assets

    • Conditions Assessment Funds - Discuss funds allocated by Town Meeting on 4/27/24 for the evaluation of three CPA funded cemeteries. Schedule walk-through with Cemetery Association.

      General Discussion...
      Historical Commission will schedule a walk through North, Moore's Corner and Chestnut Hill /Mt. Hope cemeteries with the Cemetery Association to identify repairs to stones and other maintenance needed. A Cemetery Association (LCA) member spoke about the issue of trees endangering several cemeteries. It would be helpful to have maps of the cemeteries. There may be a map of Moore's Corner at the Schoolhouse. What should be the process? A checklist? Use MHC inventory? Clarification from the LCA on their responsibilities for oversight of the cemeteries would be helpful. What is their financial status? Do they want to apply for CPA funding? Would families contribute to creating an endowment? All important questions to answer in order to chart a path forward for Leverett to upgrade its efforts to maintain its historic cemeteries.

    • HPR Monitoring - Archiving the annual monitoring reports on CPA funded historic preservation projects in Leverett. Discuss location of reports.

      General Discussion...
      Discussion about creating a link on the HC webpage on the town website to the annual Historic Preservation Restriction monitoring reports. We will tour in lieu of our July 8, 2024 meeting.

    • Industrial History Programming - UPDATE - ASOWYA (''A Sense of Where You Are: Getting to Know Leverett's Industrial Past'') 1. Embodied History: (public) 'Embodied History: Conversations with Workers in Leverett’s Charcoal Industry, a Video Premiere' presentation scheduled on September 14, 2024 in the Library Community Room; Update on'Timber Industry' - February 10, 2024 conversation. 2. ''Signage'': Update - Pleun and others. Historical Commission YouTube channel link now on our webpage. Order sign, schedule installation.

      General Discussion...
      HC will send participants in the February 2023 'Charcoal Conversation' an invitation letter to attend the September screening of excerpts from the conversation. It would be fun to have the charcoal kiln model from the Moore's Corner Schoolhouse on display.

      When can we schedule a viewing of the Timber Industry (February 2024) conversation? There are about 6 people who did not speak at that event who would like to be interviewed individually or in a smaller group. When should those interviews be scheduled and who should participate? Is Eva available to record? Can it be done with a phone and tripod as Sara and Susan M did with Leonard LaClaire's follow-up to the 'Charcoal Talk'?

      Pleun will send pricing and text for the sample historic mill marker that will be placed near Ann Ferguson's 'Chestnut Hill Mill' property. Ann Tweedy worked with Ann Ferguson to choose a location for the sign and to approve the text.

    • LHS Collection Inventory - LHS Collection Inventory - Where and how will the digitized collection become available to the public? SHRAB grant?

      General Discussion...
      Now that the paper artifacts from the Leverett Historical Society collection have been scanned (3D items still need to be photographed. A Leverett resident who works for Amherst College archives has offered to help with that process) residents have asked about how the documents and photographs will be able to be accessed? The Historical Society proposed to the Library that a dedicated computer with all the scanned files be kept in the 'Junior Room' where the public would be able to access it until such time as the files can become part of an accessible digital archive. There would be a back-up drive in the town vault. The Trustees will meet in June to consider this proposal.

      Before any of this can happen, Eva is working on linking the database fields with hyperlinks. Coming up with a 'searchable phrase' needs to be done by someone who knows the properties and content of documents. It would be great to have a 'collection program' such as 'Past Perfect' but it would need a dedicated source of funding. Once the information is ready to be shared with the public it will be 'locked' so that no one can change it. It will be available to the general public without 'curation'. It would be possible to curate 'greatest hits' or other programs of special interests, subjects, etc.. You could do a 'house tour' using a GIS program, for example.

      Next phase will be photos of objects, then there should probably be an 'Accession process' set up by the Historical Society. so much of this relies on Eva's expertise at the moment. How to remedy?

    • Oversight of Historical Assets - Field Tavern (private ownership); North Leverett Sawmill and ''Heritage Site & Nature Trail''(FONLS) Field Family Museum Ad Hoc Committee; Moore's Corner School House (LHS). Report on AGO presentation on 'Neighborhood Renewal'.

      General Discussion...
      At the North Leverett Sawmill, work is underway on the 'Heritage Park & Nature Trail' funded by Leverett's CPA monies. The Field Library/Museum Ad hoc Committee has not met recently. Rumor has it that a perk test was successful, which would mean that in order to have a public restroom for future uses beyond the current museum, it could stay in the present location. The Moore's Corner Schoolhouse will be open on Saturdays or Sundays through the summer from 2-4pm.

      On June 7, the Attorney General's Office presented one of their programs, 'The Neighborhood Renewal Program' to a collection of Leverett's boards, including the Selectboard, the Board of Health, the Planning Board, the Historical Commission, the Affordable Housing Committee, Leverett's Health Agent, the Town Administrator and other interested parties. The AGO's representatives from the Springfield Office described the rationale and process for the program. Inviting them to present was inspired by a Selectboard conversation about properties in Leverett which were at risk for a variety of reasons.

      1. Leverett_Presentation_6-7-24.pdf

  3. LHC Business

    • Leverett 250th in 2024 - Leverett 250th Anniversary update: May events: 5/25 - Antique Vehicle Show at LES. Historical Commission float in 250th parade?

    • Report from the Community Preservation Committee - Monthly update on CPC business by the Historical Commission representative.

  4. Access to Historical Commission meetings -

  5. New Business

    • National 250th Anniversary - Begin discussion of LHC interest/involvement in national semiquincentennial in 2026. Leverett has several 'witness properties' (Field Tavern, Slarrow Sawmill and Hubbard Tavern?).

    • New Research - Recognition of new research into Leverett's historical record.

  6. Meeting Wrap-up

    • Next Meetings:
      1. Mon, Jul 8, at 6:00 PM "Historical Commission Annual CPA Monitoring " -- CANCELLED -- Town Hall & online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85720560676?pwd=bThuajB1LzFWTG9ndU51WUhGZks1QT09
      2. Mon, Aug 12, at 6:00 PM "Historical Commission meeting" -- Town Hall & online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85720560676?pwd=bThuajB1LzFWTG9ndU51WUhGZks1QT09
      3. Mon, Sep 9, at 7:00 PM "Historical Commission Meeting" -- Town Hall & online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85720560676?pwd=bThuajB1LzFWTG9ndU51WUhGZks1QT09
      4. Mon, Oct 21, at 7:00 PM "Historical Commission Meeting" -- Town Hall & online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85720560676?pwd=bThuajB1LzFWTG9ndU51WUhGZks1QT09
      5. Mon, Nov 18, at 7:00 PM "Historical Commission Meeting" -- Town Hall & online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85720560676?pwd=bThuajB1LzFWTG9ndU51WUhGZks1QT09
      6. Mon, Dec 9, at 7:00 PM "Historical Commission Meeting" -- Town Hall & online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85720560676?pwd=bThuajB1LzFWTG9ndU51WUhGZks1QT09

The listing of matters is those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law.

Minutes prepared by SM