Meet Your Commissioners: Jessica Farrell

I moved to Medford in 2015 and quickly fell in love with the city’s historic neighborhoods, access to nature, and wonderful people. I’m an engaged community member who rolls her sleeves up to get involved in many aspects of Medford life. I’ve been working in archives and preservation since 2008, and am a strong advocate for libraries, archives, and preservation programs. I care deeply about Medford’s future, and while I advocate across myriad issues in the city, I wanted to join the Commission because this is an area of resource management that I have relevant professional experience in to make particularly informed recommendations. Joining the Commission has allowed me to bring my records management and library preservation knowledge to Medford, while getting to learn so much more about architectural preservation and our built environment. I think it’s useful to have a renter’s perspective on the Commission and I filled that role in my first year of service. I have since hopped barely over the line to our (ahem) sister (not rival?) city Malden with my husband Joel, and am honored to serve the Commission through the end of my term. No matter the season, you can usually find me birding at the Brooks Estate, the Fells, Mystic Lakes, or along the Mystic River paths.

May Meeting Materials

Our May meeting will have a bit of everything on the agenda. You will find that here:

We will be discussing a bunch of properties and you can find the associated Massachusetts Historical Commission inventory forms below:

We will also be receiving an application for the demolition of 37 Locus Street and reviewing progress at 28 Grove Street.

Toward the end of our meeting, we will conclude with updates on our survey projects, and the work at Thomas Brooks Park.

Hope to see you there!

Join us on June 1 at the Medford Public Library!

Whew! This has been a busy month and we have one more thing to announce:

The Medford Historical Commission is pleased to present:

Keeping the Memories Alive
A presentation by Vernon Chandler

Location: Medford Public Library at 111 High Street

Date & Time: Thursday, June 1, 2023 at 7 PM

This event is free and open to the public. All welcome!

Join us for an evening full of history, near and far. Hamilton resident Vern Chandler will share his extraordinary journey in the footsteps of his relatives that participated in World War II. Among them is Private Kenneth E. Miller of Medford. He gave his life in defense of freedom and he never returned home. He is memorialized overseas and a local family has adopted the grave of this fallen American liberator. Mr. Chandler will share the details of this native son and his two-week tour across Europe to keep the memory of the Greatest Generation.

 This presentation is sponsored by:

The Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library
City of Medford Veterans Services
Medford Historical Society and Museum

Please feel free to RSVP on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/810648313602465 or just drop us an email at historicalcommission@medford-ma.gov. We hope to see you there!