Latest news with #HistoricalCommission
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Westfield Off to War 1775′ at the Old Burying Grounds on June 14
WESTFIELD — The Historical Commission is sponsoring an event on the Old Burying Grounds on June 14 at 1 p.m. as part of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. 'Westfield Off to War 1775' will be a demonstration by trained reenactors of the drilling and muster of the Westfield militia men who left Westfield in April and June of 1775 after the Lexington Concord Battle. Westfield reenactor Samuel MacMunn, who is creating the event and will be portraying Second Lt. Richard Falley, Jr., said reenactors from around Massachusetts will be participating. Named roles local to Westfield include Lt. Col. William Shepard played by Mike Knapik, Capt. Warham Parks played by Dick Baldwin and the Reverend John Ballantine, played by John West of Northampton. Other reenactors will be filling the roles of militiamen of the period. MacMunn said an interesting fact is that when the company marched, William Shepard and Warham Parks were not yet generals and Richard Falley Jr. was not yet a lieutenant. At the time, William Shepard was a lieutenant colonel, Warham Parks was a captain and Richard Falley Jr. was a second lieutenant. MacMunn referenced information on the muster from the book, 'Westfield and its Historic Influences 1669-1919: The life of an early town with a survey of events in New England and bordering regions to which it was related in colonial and revolutionary times: Volume 1' by Reverend John Hoyt Lockwood, 1922: 'According to the roster of Mr. Bartlett, taken from the Provincial records, the company which then started from Westfield consisted of fifty-two men, including the following officers: first lieutenant, John Shepard; second lieutenant, Zechariah Bush; sergeants, Benjamin Dewey, Moses Dewey, Gideon Shepard, Asa Noble; corporals, Israel Sackett, Roger Noble, Benjamin Winchell, James Nimocks. The drummer was Ruggles Winchell, and the fifer was Jedediah Taylor. 'There were a few Westfield men, Russel Dewey, David Shepard, Richard Falley and his son Frederick, but could not have been many besides, in the famous battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775, when for the first time the raw Provincial militia, faint of body from hours of arduous toil and fasting, under a broiling summer sun, stood to their breastwork and twice repulsed the trained veterans of European campaigns. The Hampshire regiment, on duty on the other side of Boston, was not called into action on that day.' 'Westfield Off to War 1775' is free and open to the public, and will be held rain or shine. Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Amherst Historical Commission offers aid to help preserve barns
AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) – Homeowners with barns or outbuildings that are 75 years (1950) or older may be eligible to receive up to $500 for an assessment on preserving the building. The Town of Amherst Historical Commission is offering assistance for property owners through its Barn Preservation Program. It is designed to help protect the iconic and historically valuable barns that have been an integral part of the Town's rural landscape for generations, for example, the Jonathan Dickinson Barn on Shays Street. These Massachusetts community colleges awarded TRAIN grants Funding is available to identify resources for repair, restoration, and reuse, while also providing funding to facilitate historical assessments that include barns, garages, carriage houses, and other non-residential outbuildings. 'Barns represent the history of many people who were instrumental in making Amherst the community it is today,' said Jan Marquardt, former chair of the Historical Commission. 'As farming techniques evolve and many traditional barns give way to modern development, these structures are quickly becoming cherished historical landmarks. Recently, some barns were falling into such disrepair that the Historical Commission had no choice but to allow them to be razed, officially called demolition by neglect.' An assessment will examine the building's structural integrity, offer estimates for needed repairs, and provide valuable insights into the materials used in its construction, as well as the functions and historical significance of the barns over the years. The program will cover historical assessments 50 percent of the cost, up to $500. For additional information and a list of contractors who perform historic assessments, visit Property owners interested in the program can apply online or contact Planner Walker Powell by emailing powellw@ WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Restoration work on American Legion Post 124 is advancing
WESTFIELD — Al Masciadrelli, who serves on the building committee for American Legion Post 124 said the work to renovate the historic home at 124 Broad St. is going very well. The post received $600,000 from the Community Preservation Commission one year ago to make badly needed repairs to save the building. Currently, the work, being done by Sacred Oak Homes of Stockbridge, is focused on the front entrance on Broad Street where a temporary ramp has been installed. 'Right now, we're really focused on the front to meet the requirements of the Historical Commission,' Masciadrelli said. He said the front porch was more rotted out than expected, and had to be disassembled and pieces remade to keep the historical look. He said Sacred Oak Homes does a lot of historical restoration work. There has also been electrical work done to the front of the building, and a new sign installed. 'Once we get the front entrance [completed], we're putting in a memorial gas light to honor both past and present members of the veterans. Then, hopefully, we're going to have a stone marking what that represents,' he said. Other plans include new fencing on two sides of the building, and masonry repair throughout. He said a lot of the old shrubbery has been taken out. 'We're trying to simplify it, and keep it very tasteful,' he said. Phase 2 of the project will be work done on the rear main entrance, where plans are to install an accessible lift. Masciadrelli said on Friday he had just gotten off the phone with the architect, who has simplified the prior plans due to changes in the laws. He said the cost for the lift is going to be substantially lower than previously expected. Masciadrelli said Post 124 plans to remain open throughout the construction, barring brief interruptions as required by the building inspector. 'The general contractor is very mindful of that. Like all businesses, when you do expensive work, there are interruptions,' he said, acknowledging that people are getting 'antsy,' and keep asking when it is going to be done. 'We've got a good construction team we put together a couple of years ago to do the work — everyone is on the same page,' Masciadrelli said. 'The city was so gracious to give us this money, we've got to make sure we do it justice. The Community Preservation Committee was really great to us,' he added. Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Restoration of historic Rock Castle taking shape in Hendersonville
HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A historic property in Sumner County is halfway home on its largest and most expensive renovation effort in its 229-year existence. Dan Brown, program director for Tennessee's Historical Commission, can talk for hours about Rock Castle and its historical significance as the oldest house in Middle Tennessee. 'I got to be careful and not come out here too much, I get too excited,' Brown joked. 'It's such a fabulous project. The approach towards this is [simple]: make these places [historic sites] where you live your life for the community. Where you have events and meetings and get togethers and family events and festivals, and this becomes a community center.' From Southern staples to Syrian cuisine, Hendersonville restaurants serve a taste of 'home' The $11 million project is right on track, Brown said. Now a year into construction, a lot has changed on a property where so little had for decades. One of the sole add-ons to the property over the years– a small visitor's center– has been torn down. In its place: a large parking lot, and the bones of an event center that resembles a sun-soaked cathedral. 'Such a beautiful space, and then beautiful materials. We're putting a ceiling in here of a matching beaded-board wood that's going to give you a really really nice look here,' Brown detailed as he showed News 2 the interior of the building. The center will ultimately have space for, really, any type of activity. With history as its foundation, a museum will be a central feature. '[We] will be engaging them with historic objects and history and presentations and different displays. Which will tie them in to the historic experience here,' Brown explained. News 2 On Tour | Explore the communties that shape Middle Tennessee The house itself will also receive some work, as will the home of the site's caretakers. Their end goal is to remove 'the velvet rope,' as Brown called it, and let the community truly engage with the historic space. 'It's just such a fulfilling project. I know as far as my career with historic properties and construction, it's one of the most fulfilling projects I've ever worked on,' Brown said. Rock Castle should be back open to the community, better than ever, this fall. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
