The Medford Historical Commission is proud to promote the Eastern Massachusetts Historical Commission Coalition’s program titled “From Bylaw to Action: Understanding Demolition Delay Implementation” on Tuesday February 6, 2024 from 10-11:30AM. This is a digital presentation. Please be sure to register online with the EMHCC located here: bit.ly/46uh86I
EMHCC makes their presentations available online after the fact. If you can’t join us at that time, be sure to watch them on their archives. The Medford Historical Commission is pleased to speak at this event and we welcome anyone from the public to chime in on the benefits of this important community preservation tool.
Happy New Year! The Historical Commission is ready to kickoff 2024 with a robust agenda that moves a series of reviews and projects along. We look forward to seeing you at our meeting.
We have a new Commissioner on the board. Welcome Eleni Glekas. You’ll be hearing more about her soon, as we’ll make sure we have her give us some background information and dedicate a whole post like what has been done for the previous Commissioners. On that note, we would like to thank Jessica Farrell for all she has done for the board.
43 Allston Street: The Commission will receive the application and determine significance for the fire damaged structure on Allston Street. The Commission had an MHC inventory form prepared to document the building. We will review the information within and take action following comments by the Commissioners.
314 Winthrop Street: The Commission will next receive the application for 314 Winthrop Street. The paperwork came in late so we will determine the significance of the building next month. An inventory form has been prepared and is included below.
Brooks Park Presentation: Landscape Architect Peter Hedlund will give a brief presentation and solicit feedback from the Commissioners on the goals of the Thomas Brooks Park project. This is a kickoff meeting for the archaeological cap that will be placed atop the Brooks House site following additional archaeological investigations later this year. Peter previously prepared the master plan for the park and we are looking forward to working with him to protect one of the sites most important features.
Election of Officer and Meeting Dates: This is a hold over from December, as we wanted to make sure we take the time to include all the commissioners in this discussion. We will set our meeting dates and elect officers for the season.
Annual Report: We are almost ready to release our annual report for the 2023 year. We have a few edits to make and the Commissioners will hopefully approve the final document this evening. Once that is done, we will post it to our website for everyone to see!
We will conclude the meeting with general updates on various projects that are ongoing. If there are any questions or comments, do drop us a note by emailing us. We look forward to hearing from members of our community. Thanks!
There is an incredible opportunity to help the Medford Brooks Estate Land Trust (M-BELT). The non-profit organization seeks a new President. You could be the right candidate! If your resolution is to volunteer, consider doing so in support of one of our treasured historic landmarks.
The Brooks Estate represents our history. Fifty acres of woodland and water protect the core of the former summer estates of Peter Chardon Brooks III and Shepherd Brooks. High atop Acorn Hill, the 21-room Manor and Carriage House overlooks the historic landscape. The red brick structures were designed by Peabody and Stearns and erected in 1880. They have been owned by the City since 1947 and are awaiting restoration. The goal is to rehabilitate the buildings to make them income-generating and self-sustaining.
M-BELT is providing the path for the future. For the last twenty-five years, the organization has stabilized and conserved both buildings. They developed a master plan to set a direction for success. The organization is restructuring to turn that dream into a reality. The new President will be responsible for taking charge and moving forward. They will be supported by the Board of Directors, long-time dedicated volunteers, and a planned part-time administrative assistant.
If this sounds exciting, please drop over to their website to learn more, and be sure to send them a letter of interest and resume. https://brooksestate.org/newpresident/
Medford Historical Commission 