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Massachusetts

Leverett

Town of Leverett
9 Montague Road
Leverett, MA 01054
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Historical Commission Meeting

Monday, February 8, 2021, 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82213077033
A meeting of the Historical Commission

Meeting of Historical Commission

Members: (Quorum)

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

Also Present:

  • (All on zoom.)

See original Agenda Final Minutes

Meeting opened: 7:12 PM

Meeting closed: 8:54 PM

  1. Meeting Preliminaries

  2. Access to Historical Commission monthly meeting - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86125147556

    • SM contact - leveretthistoryinfo@gmail.com Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86125147556 Meeting ID: 861 2514 7556

  3. History-related Cultural Events

    • Leverett 250 - Planning for 250th year 2024 in Leverett.

      General Discussion...
      Sara Robinson reports that Tom Hankinson will write an article requesting a small amount of start-up funding for this year's Town Meeting (for a website?). The next meeting will be April 18, 2021 outside at the Library weather-permitting. The idea of suggesting "Yankee Moderns", Michael Hoberman's 1999 study of the Sawmill River valley history and culture, as a "Leverett Reads" selection came up. The Moore's Corner School House might be on its way to restoration by then and children could be encouraged to visit. (Something came up about "inviting Leverett Library trustees"?)

    • Schooling in Leverett - "10 to 1", One-Room Schoolhouse Oral History Project publication. Collaboration with Leverett Education Foundation to highlight Leverett Elementary School and education's historical importance in Leverett.

      General Discussion...
      Ann Tweedy reports that the "10 to 1" books are on their way! She is in contact with Faith at Leveller's Press. A copy will be sent by Leveller's to all the "scholars" who participated. Ann Tweedy will write a note on the title page. We look forward to inviting scholars to an event in the Library garden in the spring or summer to honor them and the student interviewers (now in Grade 9?), possibly in partnership with the Leverett Education Foundation (new non-profit formed to raise awareness and funding for LES). LHC has reached out to and is awaiting contact from LEF. The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners had originally requested a community event, so it would fulfill that obligation as well. We do not know yet how many copies will be able to be printed from the funds we have left. Would the Library want to have "10 to 1" as a "Leverett Reads" selection?

  4. Preservation Planning for Historical Assets

    • Industrial History programming - "A Sense of Where You Are: Getting to Know Leverett's Industrial Past' Virtual and in-person tours to Leverett's historic industrial landscape and sites." 2021 and 2022

      General Discussion...
      Next program will be Friday, February 26, 2021, 7-8:30pm - a zoom to the Cave Hill Mill (not sure if it is Marvel or other family owned). PR will go out soon. Conversation about adjusting the CPC application for 2022 funding to continue the "Sense of Place..." programming on Leverett's industrial history. Interest seems to be growing. CPC made several requests (look at reimbursement for "travel" and consolidate the two parts into one document) which we will execute and send back to the CPC before the March 3, 2021 public hearing at which meeting they will decide whether to advance the request to Town Meeting. The new owners of the Cave Hill Mill property, Ben and Kristen Bakker, are interested in the program and the history. John Ingram, Leverett's Fire Dept. Chief, is a descendant of the Marvel family, who may have been owners of the mill and will look for materials relating to the property as well. Eva is also researching Beaman/Marvel Box Shop workers as well as a Leverett mine (lead mine?)

      1. Revised_Grant_proposal_Leverett_Historical_Commission_for_CPC_--__February_2021final.pdf
      2. LHC_CPC_proposal_attachments_revision_february_2021_small_version__final.pdf

    • LHC Timeline - Looking at how seemingly diverse projects contribute to the larger goal of preserving Leverett's history.

      General Discussion...
      Susan Lynton was not present so we did not discuss the timeline in depth. Anne Schuyler will work on Mission/Vision statement. She talked about it needing to be flexible enough to change over time. Eva Gibavic would like to have "Indigenous" on the timeline, as "pre-contact"(?). Many terms are used to speak of "traditional cultural property". Could it go in the second paragraph? The first paragraph could be mission, second more specific? The focus may change over time, but the mission remains the same. Terminology is key as rehabilitation, restoration, preservation and reconstruction are all terms sometimes used interchangeably, but which have different meanings and intentions.

      1. Mission_and_Timeline_in_one_Chart_LHC-2_1.xlsx

    • LHS Collection Inventory - Moore's Corner Schoolhouse and Field Family Museum collections of the Leverett Historical Society inventoried and digitized.

      General Discussion...
      The LHS (Dawn Ward), working with Eva and Ann Tweedy (LHC), addressed the requests of CPC members from the January meeting in a rewrite of the joint LHC/LHS application to inventory the Moore's Corner Schoolhouse and Field Family Museum collections. It is a first step towards planning for future adaptive reuse of those buildings, which is a goal set forth by the 250th planning team.

    • Slarrow Sawmill - Sale of historic property by current owners.

      General Discussion...
      Susan Mareneck will contact Amy Boyce to find out status of historic mill property in North Leverett Center. We know she is also looking for land to buy to reconstruct her 1744 cape house which she rescued from demolition in Marshfield. LHC members will ask friends in town about available land. We believe Amy is still investigating the status of the dam with engineers.

  5. Cemeteries

    • Individual Cemetery Issues - National Register Historic Districts documentation.

    • Veterans Recognition Project - New resource listing Leverett veterans from the TH vault..

  6. LHC - Schedules/ Meetings/ Duties

    • Demolition Delay Bylaw - Harry Wilson's application for review of "historical significance" for an outbuilding he wants to tear down and replace on his property in Moore's Corner.

      General Discussion...
      Eva and Susan M. visited the Watson homestead with owner Harry Wilson and documented the structure he wants to demolish and replace. It is not in shape to stand much longer and is not deemed a contributing member of the history of the Watson family in Moore's Corner. The big barns that housed chickens, the store, the sawmill, etc. that were the basis for the commercial importance of the family are all long gone. this building looks to have been just a carriage or horse barn/20th century garage.

      MOTION, moved by Ann Tweedy, seconded by Eva Gibavic: "Having observed and documented the carriage house/garage on the formerly Watson property now owned by Harry Wilson on Dudleyville Road in Moore's Corner, the Leverett Historical Commission does not find it rises to the level of "historical significance". Owner Harry Wilson will be so notified.".

      Pass: Aye: Sara Robinson, Ann Tweedy, Eva Gibavic, Susan Mareneck, Anne Schuyler. Not Present: Edie Field, Susan Lynton.

      Eva will send Susan M. the documentation she made on site and SM will send Harry a letter to let him know of the LHC's decision.

    • LHC Membership - LHC Vacancy

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

      General Discussion...
      LHC Annual Report due to town clerk on 3/8/21.

  7. CPA - Reconnaissance

    • Reporting - Template for monitoring CPA funded properties. Protocols for Historic Preservation Restrictions TBD - HPR for Moore's Corner School House to Select Board. Town Hall HPR?

    • Stone walls - Preserving stone walls in Leverett - "Mapping Leverett", a project for 250th that brings together neighbors to locate and restore Leverett's stone walls.

  8. Old Business

    • Opportunities - SMART Growth - Federal support through EPA; Community Compact grants

  9. Special topics

    • Suggested topic - Suggested topic for future exploration - updating the Howe's Brothers photos now (30 years after last "update")?

  10. New Business

    • Mission statement - LHC Mission - Vision draft

      General Discussion...
      (See above - Anne Schuyler will draft a mission statement. Susan Lynton started a timeline for the CPC or any other town entity to see how the various projects of LHC fit together in an overall preservation strategy. Would Eva like to add language for indigenous history/culture to the timeline?)

  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 Monday, Apr 5, 2021