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Politics & Government

Preserving Lynnfield's Culture

The Lynnfield Historical Commission takes on new projects in 2011 to preserve the town's small town New England tradition.

 A little white cape house on South Common Street is home to the Lynnfield Historical Commission, which works to preserve the town's structures, scenic roads, highways, tombs, landscapes and monuments.

Commission chair Nan Hockenbury told Lynnfield Patch in a recent interview that the Commission, “…together with the Historical Society is working to reach out to the community and to be available to researchers.”

The Building

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The Commission is made up of volunteers, all of whom are currently working to catalog and explore the artifacts and records collected over the years. They have been in their current building since 2009. Outside this building sits a dedication bench, honoring retired members Barbara Drozek, Edith Richards and June Rose. Near the road sits a granite post and sign welcoming people to the small building, known as The Historical Centre. The post and sign was donated by the Olde New England Granite and Markarian Sign Company.

The building shelters many artifacts from Lynfield’s history, such as pictures, photographs, maps and much more. A surveillance system, donated by Lynnfield resident and selectman Arthur J. Bourque’s company SURV, helps to protect these items that are very important to the town.

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Upcoming Projects To Further Preserve Town's Heritage

Throughout the coming year, the historical commission plans to take on a number of projects to document and preserve the unique character of Lynnfield.  Hockenbury said, “We have a cultural history that makes the town what it is- a small, New England community and we have preserved that.”

One of these projects is the Spoken Word. The members of the Historical Commission will be interviewing seniors in town about their experiences in Lynnfield. These interviews will be edited into ten minute segments and put into a collection. “There is so much people can tell you about living here and watching the town grow and change,” Hockenbury said.

The Historical Commission is also preparing for the 2014 celebration of the 300 year anniversary of the town meeting house (1714) and Lynnfield’s 2ooth  (1814) year as a town. They are hoping for a full year of celebration and activities, such as a Road Race, a scavenger hunt, music events and much more.

Ongoing projects include maintenance of Franklin-Cox Park and conservation of the town’s five burial locations. The group wants to focus on the conditions of these burial grounds and restore some of the stones which have since been ruined by acid rain or other weather conditions.

The group also plans to restore all historical plaques by 2014. Additionally, they will be taking inventory of all the buildings. “This has not been done since 1976,” Hockenbury said, “we used to have 46 historical buildings, but we are probably down to about 40 now.” Since moving into the new building, the group has continued to organize and catalog the items there, with the assistance of a software management program called PastPerfect.

Open House During Geraniumfest

The Historical Commission will host an open house on May 14, during Geranium Fest, during which they will be honoring individuals who have represent the spirit of the Historical Commission by preserving the town’s history.

The Spirit of Lynnfield Award will go to the homeowner or organization that has maintained the spirit of the town. The Perkins Reservation Award will go to the homeowner or organization that has preserved an early original structure as closely of possibly. Finally, the Donald Harris Initiative Award is awarded to people who have taken initiative and accomplished something that has contributed to preserving the town’s history.

Volunteers

As the Historical Commission continues to work on ongoing project and takes on new ones, they are in constant need of volunteers. Anyone can help with a variety of different projects, so be sure to keep an eye out for ways you can lend a hand.

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