Historical Commission Chair Katherine Gardner-Wescott proposed using $2,500 from the town’s $33,175 (Select Board 5/5/25 packet) 250th anniversary programming allocation to sponsor historically themed performances and presentations. At the May meeting, she recommended booking “History at Play,” citing their dramatizations of figures like Rachel Revere and Frances Perkins, and suggested inviting historian John Bell, although members raised concerns about prior technical issues with Bell’s talks.
Commissioners Ann Gordon and Bradford Carver supported programming with theatrical appeal. Carver initially questioned Perkins’ relevance to the Revolutionary era but ultimately endorsed including her story to illustrate a broader historical arc. Gardner-Wescott clarified the anniversary committee’s goal is to connect the struggle for liberty during the founding period to later advocates like Perkins, who advanced worker’s rights and created Social Security during the New Deal era.
The Commission tentatively agreed to hold two to three events across 2025–2026, with costs of approximately $600 per performance. Sunday afternoons were favored, and members discussed incentivizing student attendance with academic credit.
Gordon reported on delays in the gravestone restoration project by Epoch Preservation due to staff illness and cemetery water access issues. A new worker has begun Priority 3 cleaning, with co-founder Rachel Meyer expected to return for Priority 1 work. Less than half of the project’s funds have been used. The group earmarked $600 for cemetery education events and discussed potential speakers on gravestone symbolism.
Carver raised concerns about subcontracting costs. Gardner-Wescott updated members on interpretive signage projects, including edits to Dudley Woods signs on Indigenous history and Dudley Pond’s cultural use. Conard reported that Tower Hill Road sign restoration was completed with recovered insurance funds and emphasized the need to allocate a $25,000 state earmark before June 30 for upcoming signage. The Commission next meets June 2 at 6:30 p.m. and will shift to daytime meetings in July.
