Historical Commission Meeting

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Monday, November 18, 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm
Online and in-person at Town Hall Topic: Historical Commission Meeting - Join Zoom Meeting: Meeting ID: 848 0606 91; Passcode: 254618
A meeting of the Historical Commission

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84806069184?pwd=IV1P3b3M5g9qYcb7ftZdSweh8Ss26q.1

Meeting of Historical Commission

Members: (Quorum)

• Absent: Edie Field, Honorary
• Absent: Ann Tweedy
• Present: Sara Robinson, at 7:00 PM
• Present: Susan Mareneck, Chair, at 7:00 PM
• Present: Carole Desanti, at 7:00 PM
• Present: Susan Lynton, at 7:00 PM
• Present: Anne Schuyler, at 7:10 PM
• Present: Eva Gibavic, at 7:00 PM

Also Present:

• Sue & John Swartz
• Julia Shively

See original Agenda Draft Minutes * * *

Meeting opened: 7:03 PM

Meeting closed: 8:42 PM

0. Meeting Preliminaries

   • Meeting Opened / Attendance Taken (see above).

   • Minutes Approved: Mon, Oct 21 - Historical Commission Meeting

1. New Business

   • Community Updates - Community Updates - John and Sue Swartz donation

     General Discussion...
     Sue and John Swartz attended the Historical Commission meeting to announce their legacy donations of $10,000 each to the preservation of the Moore's Corner Schoolhouse and the Field Museum/Library. Julie Shively, treasurer of the Leverett Historical Society, a non-profit that owns the Moore's Corner Schoolhouse, was present to accept the gifts. How the funds for the Field Building, a town-owned property, currently in use as a museum and repository of Leverett's historical artifacts by the Historical Society, can be directed will be discussed by the Historical Commission, which is a town board representing the town's interests in preserving its history, and the Society. They would also like to bequeath several antiques which had belonged to Sue's Glazier ancestors, one of the early Leverett families.
     
     Julie mentioned that the Moore's Corner Schoolhouse Museum was open to the public on Sunday afternoons through the 2024 summer months and that the attendance grew throughout the season.

2. CPA Letters of Support

   • LOS - Rattlesnake Gutter Restoration Project request for Letter of Support

     General Discussion...
     This letter of support has been written and was approved. The Leverett Selectboard is the applicant, with members of the public representing the project.

   • LOS - FONLS request 2024

     General Discussion...
     The Friends of North Leverett Sawmill (FONLS) is not ready to share the project plans requested by the Historical Commission as a prerequisite to approving a Letter of Support. Susan Lynton, FONLS Treasurer, gave a brief update, saying that the schematic design which includes a septic system, has not been approved by the FONLS Board of Directors yet. It is hoped that the plans will be complete for the next scheduled FONLS BOD meeting on 12/16/24. If so, it will hopefully be able to be approved at the January 13, 2025 LHC meeting. Once the plan is available, it will be sent out to the Historical Commission members to peruse.

   • LOS - LHS Request - CPA Moore's Corner Schoolhouse

     General Discussion...
     Discussion about whether 'accessibility' is part of the project plan for rehabilitating the Schoolhouse. Sara, President of the Leverett Historical Society, (LHS) which owns the schoolhouse explained that the LHS is applying for CPA funding to institute the goals of the 'Stability Replacement Plan (SRP) as evaluated by the architectural engineering firm engaged by the MASS Cultural Facilities fund grant received by LHS in 2023. It is a little difficult to find the reference in their report, but $10,500 is allocated in the budget for stabilizing the structure to make it ADA accessible as a 9 mo. museum.

     MOTION, moved by Eva Gibavic, seconded by Carole Desanti: Moved that, 'The Historical Commission provide the Leverett Historical Society with a Letter of Support for their application to Leverett's CPA fund to follow the MASS Cultural Facilities SRP plan to stabilize the structure making it ADA accessible as a 9-month museum.'.

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

     (see above)

3. Conditions Assessment of Leverett Cemeteries

   • Update - Walk-through North, Moore's Corner and Chestnut Hill cemeteries with Leverett Cemetery Association

     General Discussion...
     Visitation to the three designated cemeteries, North, Chestnut Hill/Mount Hope and Rattlesnake Gutter/Moore's Corner is complete. Developing a 'Scope of Work' that can be sent to possible gravestone restorers, stoneworkers and/or landscape professionals is the next task for the Leverett Cemetery Association and Historical Commission members to undertake this winter. It is our hope to have estimates for the work that needs to be done in hand in time for a request, if approved by the Selectboard and Finance Committee, to be put on the Warrant for the 2025 Town Meeting.
     
     It was discovered in the course of our survey that Dr. Silas Ball, Surgeon in Washington's Continental Army during the American Revolution, who is buried in North Cemetery, along with his brother Col Benjamin Ball (from whom our Silas Ball is descended), both were lacking marker flags recognizing their service, which has since been rectified.

4. Historical Signage

   • Industrial History Markers - Signage for Chestnut Hill Mill

     General Discussion...
     After the first industrial history marker was installed on East Chestnut Hill across from Ann Ferguson's home and above the remains of the 'Chestnut Hill Mill' on Chestnut Hill Brook, in November by the Highway Department, questions about liability have arisen. Working with the property owner, the Historical Commission agreed to an additional sign to be posted beneath the historical marker, declaring the land private. The exact wording has yet to be worked out, but the process has provided the LHC and the landwoner an opportunity to sort out relevant questions.
     
     Next Eva will speak to the Bakkers about the Cave Hill Mill on their property. The Federal Mill remains on the Sawmill River near Skerry Road is on Cowl's land. The LHC will speka to Cinda Jones about it and the fourth sign is slated for the former Roaring Brook Mill in East Leverett, now the home of Lauren Kaplan. Pleun was the main contact with Lauren.

5. Oversight of Historical Assets

   • Graves' Ironworks - Graves' ironworks Survey and Mapping

     General Discussion...
     Susan will contact Mass historical Commission (MHC) Archaeology Division to find out what, if anything, they would like to see on the Graves Ironworks site. (Project Notification Form?). We will determine whether it is the right time to bring the town up-to-date on the Graves' Ironworks mapping efforts and whether through the newsletter or what format would be most beneficial.

   • HPR - HPR for stone features

     General Discussion...
     No update.

   • Properties - Update on - Slarrow Sawmill (FONLS); Moore's Corner Schoolhouse (LHS); 'Heritage Park & Nature Trail'(FONLS/Town of Leverett); Field Tavern (private); Graves' Ironworks (Town of Leverett managed by FONLS as part of 'Heritage Park' conservation area); Field Library/Museum (Town of Leverett in partnership with LHS)

     General Discussion...
     Heritage Park & Nature Trail funds forgotten at the 2024 Town Meeting will be voted at the Special Town Meeting on Tuesday 11/19/24. A question arose about unspent CPA funds granted to the Ad Hoc Committee for the Field Library evaluation. SM will follow up with the Selectboard on the Field Tavern status.
     
     SM and Eva will research what baseline documentation was done at the Slarrow Sawmill when the town wrote a Historic Preservation Restriction in conjunction with CPA funds that were expended to repair the sawmill's collapsed roof.

6. Leverett's 250th Anniversary

   • Events - Crazy Quilt Community Project October 20, 2024 - 2025

     General Discussion...
     Several dozen participants to date.

7. Reports from Other Town Committees

   • Monthly Updates - Community Preservation Committee/ Selectboard/ Planning Board/ Affordable Housing/ Board of Health/ Recreation Committee/ Council on Aging/ Cultural Council/ Zoning Board of Appeals/ Conservation Commission.

     General Discussion...
     The next CPA meeting will be on 12/12/24 at 7pm.

8. Embodied History - Timber Industry Video from February 2024 viewing to be announced

   • Embodied History - Timber Industry Video Scheduling

     General Discussion...
     It was suggested that we shoot for a January viewing for participants with a March 'Timber Industry' program at the Library as a lead up to the vote at Town Meeting to approve the creation of a Town Forest, gifted by Bruce Spencer of acreage upriver from Moore's Corner along the Sawmill River. Given Bruce's qualifications as a forester and experience as Director of the Harvard Forest in the Quabbin for decades, this forest is said to be a prime example of a sustainably-managed forest. It seems like a fitting event in light of the Leverett citizen's long history of timber industry involvement.

9. Meeting Wrap-up

   • Next Meetings:
     1. Mon, Dec 9, at 7:00 PM "Historical Commission Meeting" -- Online and in-person at Town Hall Topic: Historical Commission Meeting - Join Zoom Meeting: Meeting ID: 848 0606 91; Passcode: 254618
     2. Mon, Jan 13, at 7:00 PM "Historical Commission Meeting" -- Online and in-person at Town Hall Topic: Historical Commission Meeting - Join Zoom Meeting: Meeting ID: 848 0606 91; Passcode: 254618
     3. Mon, Feb 10, at 7:00 PM "Historical Commission Meeting" -- Online and in-person at Town Hall Topic: Historical Commission Meeting - Join Zoom Meeting: Meeting ID: 848 0606 91; Passcode: 254618
     4. Mon, Mar 10, at 7:00 PM "Historical Commission Meeting" -- Online and in-person at Town Hall Topic: Historical Commission Meeting - Join Zoom Meeting: Meeting ID: 848 0606 91; Passcode: 254618

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