Leverett Town Seal
Leverett
Massachusetts
Town of Leverett
9 Montague Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Town Clerk: (413) 548-9150
Tax Collector: (413) 548-9666
Assessor: (413) 548-4945
Town Hall Fax: (413) 548-1035
Contact Us
Previous Meeting Next Meeting

Historical Commission Meeting

Monday, June 8, 2020, 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4753797345
A meeting of the Historical Commission

Meeting of Historical Commission

Members: (Quorum)

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

See original Agenda Final Minutes

Meeting opened: 7:16 PM

Meeting closed: 8:22 PM

  1. Meeting Preliminaries

  2. Access to Historical Commission monthly meeting - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4753797345

    • SM contact - leveretthistoryinfo@gmail.com Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4753797345 Meeting ID: 475-379-7345

      General Discussion...
      Zoom seems to be working pretty well. Even though, Anne Schuyler was in the waiting room later in the meeting but host did not see her listed...). We think we will stay with it and not change to "Go-to-Meeting" which the town is now using.

  3. History-related Cultural Events

    • Leverett 250 - Planning for "semiquincentennial" (or, "quartermillenial", or "sestercenternnial") in Leverett. Report on 5/31/20 zoom gathering

      General Discussion...
      We will create a sign with a list of previously suggested activities for the 250th Anniversary to display at Town Meeting on 6/20/20 and invite people to make additional suggestions via post-its. Edie has examples from 1974 activities for people to use/refer to.

    • Schooling in Leverett - "One-Room School House" Oral History Project. "Go Local..." MBLC grant update.

      General Discussion...
      Ann Tweedy has put together a short video. We could post on UTube for outreach. (We are not eligible for non-profit status on UTube as we are a govt. entity.). She will bring postcards to town meeting for people to take which describe the One Room School House Project. Sara Robinson will write a letter to go with transcriptions to interviewees for their approval.

      1. Nine_One_Room_Schoolhouses_Postcard.pdf

  4. Strategic Planning for Historical Assets

    • Historical Assets - HAS - - Next steps -- Strategies for reporting findings, educating and engaging community. Planning for historical assets future adaptation for sustainability and reuse.

      General Discussion...
      Susan Lynton is going to look into getting a grant or assistance from the Roving Archivist through the State Historical Records and Archives Board (SHRAB) to inventory the Field Museum and Moore's Corner School House Museum collections as a first step towards a plan for the rehabilitation and reuse of those historic buildings. It was suggested at the 250th Planning Team meeting that that be a goal for completion by the 2024 Anniversary.

    • MAHumanities Discussion Grant for community engagement - "A Sense of Where You Are: Conversations about Leverett's historic industrial landscape and community." Spring 2020 Walk & Talk on Friday June 19, 7pm. "Finding and Interpreting Mill Sites in the Landscape: Zooming the Field Mill". .

      General Discussion...
      We are looking forward to "zooming" the Field Mill. Permission to video and show the property have been acquired, but owner asks no trespassing. We also have permission for the Maynard Mill on Brushy Mtn. but are not sure about additional virtual programming this summer. On Friday 6/19 SM introduce/ show video with PB/EG narration, then Q&A. The mill design on the invitation was patented by SS Graves of North Leverett.

      1. ASoWYA_June_2020_Field_Mill_event_1000_wide.jpg

    • Slarrow Sawmill - Sale of historic property by current owners. Open house for neighbors to meet & greet possible new owner?

      General Discussion...
      Invitations have been sent out to the neighborhood to meet Amy Boyce at the sawmill in North Leverett to ask/hear about her plans on 6/14/20 @ 3-4pm. There will be "safe" refreshments.

      1. ACSResource_Slarrow_Sawmill-Kirley2008.pdf

    • Zoning Bylaws - PB Zoning Bylaw Revisions - approval at Town Meeting on 20 June 2020. 9am, outdoors at Leverett Elementary School..

  5. Cemeteries

    • Cemetery Conservation

    • Individual Cemetery Issues - Leverett Cemetery Association; Town website corrections; 2017 Form E submissions - MHC approval of National Register applications for North and Hillsboro/Long Plain.

    • Veterans Recognition Project - Bill Rathbun - Signage design.

  6. MHC - Archaeology requirements

    • Requirements - Next Steps

  7. LHC - Schedules/ Meetings/ Duties

    • CPA Monitoring - Protocols for Historic Preservation Restrictions TBD

    • LHC Membership - LHC Vacancy

    • Town website - Update history section on Town website -"Leverett History" on town website

  8. CPA - Reconnaissance

    • Reporting - Template for monitoring CPA funded properties

  9. New Business

    • LHC Budget

    • Opportunities

    • Reports

      General Discussion...
      Eva reports research on Leverett residents of color that she has been doing with Denzel Hankinson. They have documented Adam Freeman (refered to in town meeting minutes as "Adam the Negro") who lived on Depot Road, died in 1808 and was buried in Leverett.

  11. Meeting Wrap-up

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

Minutes approved on Thursday, Aug 6, 2020