Scituate Historical Society 43 Cudworth Road, Scituate, MA 02066, 781-545-1083 On Facebook at www.facebook.com/ScituateHistoricalSociety or at scituatehistoricalsociety.org Making Progress on CPC Projects The Cushing Shay is returned to mint condition while the Lafayette Coach begins its journey back to full health A Trove of Stories Arrives Two months ago a box was delivered by post to the Little Red Schoolhouse. On a Sunday afternoon, the box was opened and a cascade of history tumbled out. The box came from the Franzen family of Scituate and New Hampshire. The materials included ran a gamut from 1840 to 1945. Photographs, letters, portraits, lithographs, and a one of a kind medal were included. See the photos below for a hint at this amazing donation. We can not be more grateful. The Coast Guard of a bygone day An extremely rare medal given to each Scituate sol- dier or sailor who returned from World War 1. This is believed to be William Franzen during the First World War. The North Jetty in ice—1913 Captain George Brown of the Sailors muster at the Dedication of Life Saving service the Monument at Lawson Common The Dr. Harold Edgerton /Graves End Bell Comes to Rest at Scituate Light Thanks are due to many hands for the installation of the Dr. Harold Edgerton /Graves End Bell at Scituate Light in early December. We are in debt to Bob Chessia, Bob Steverman, Steve Litchfield, Scituate Concrete Pipe, and especially the generous team at MIT who coordinated this gift. Pictured with the bell is Gary Tondorf- Dick , Project Manager for MIT Facilities, who had a bell on his hands and knew just where he wanted it to land. Without Gary’s team this would not have happened. Signage will be added in the spring to tell the full story of this pioneering device in Maritime safety. Our condolences go out to the family and many friends of Barbara Whitfield, wife of Trustee Emeritus, Peter Whitfield ,on her passing in December. Barbara was of immeasurable help to the keepers at Scituate Light during every open house and she will be sadly missed. Community Preservation Act Proposals for 2016 –2017 The Community Preservation Committee voted on February 8, 2016 to support the funding of two Scituate Historical Society projects for the fiscal year beginning in July. The Committee approved a project to restore the copper canopy of Scituate Light and rebuild the lantern room and gallery. The anticipated cost of this project is $160,000.00 The Committee also approved a project to convert the western side of the Little Red Schoolhouse, long used as an apartment space, into an Archive for the Society’s holdings. Now located in the basement of the Schoolhouse, the holdings will be moved above grade to better catalog and preserve them for researchers and students. The anticipated cost of this project is $135,000.00. The Scituate Historical Society will contributed $27,000.00 to the overall cost. Also, approved is an evaluation of Lawson Tower to see if it can be engineered into a display space. SAVE THE DATE: MARCH 12, 2016 PLACE: HARBOR METHODIST CHURCH TIME: 6:30 TO 8:30 COST: $20.00 TOPIC: 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GROUNDING OF ETRUSCO ON CEDAR POINT Officers Thanks to all of you who have renewed your President: David Ball memberships or have encouraged a new Vice President: Fred Freitas member to join. We are eager to see our ranks Treasurer: Denise Castro grow. If you know of someone who enjoys our Clerk: Alice Leblanc Archivist: Carol Miles programming and has a passion for local Assistant Archivist: Mary Porter history, reach out to them and mention a membership in the Scituate Historical Society. Trustees Mat Brown A Reminder: You get the newsletter earlier Bob Chessia and in color if you send a request to Bob Gallagher [email protected]. Make the Tom Hall Steve Litchfield subject line: Newsletter Susan Lovering Gigi Mirachi Tucker Patterson Alison Short Peter Whitfield— Trustee Emeritus SCITUATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Spring 2016 43 Cudworth Road, Scituate MA 02066 781-545-1083 scituatehistoricalsociety.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ScituateHistoricalSociety ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT OLD IRONSIDES Please join the Scituate Historical Society in welcoming Margherita Desy to the Grand Army Hall on Country Way, Monday May 2nd at 6:30pm. Margherita Desy is a curator and historian of New England maritime and early U.S. Navy histories. Employed by the Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston, Margherita is historian for USS Constitution. She has also worked for Historic New England, the USS Constitution Museum, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Hartford, and for 20 years at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut. Margherita taught for fourteen years as adjunct faculty at Tufts University in the Museum Studies Program in the Graduate and Professional Studies Department. This is your chance to have every question you have ever had answered by the foremost authority on the USS Constitution. We hope to see you at GAR hall on May 2nd. FIELD TRIP SEASON BEGINS Thanks go out to all the volunteers who set time aside during the spring for the many, many field trips that visit the sites mantained and managed by the Scituate Historical Society. Groups from Marshfield have visited already and more are on the way from the Norwell and Scituate schools. In early April there was a group of international students who came directly to Scituate Light from a meeting with Senator Warren. Having these visits is both a daunting and rewarding task. We are grateful to all of those who help make it happen. A FACELIFT FOR THE KEEPER’S COTTAGE The interior of the Lightkeeper’s Cottage was visited by Denman Baker and his meticulous approach with a paint brush for three weeks in early March. Ceilings in need of repair were addressed as were several of the new windows installed last fall. The second floor was returned to a pristine condition as a pair of two-hundred-year- old bedrooms got new coats on ceilings, walls, and trim. Nate offered insightful suggestions about two sorry looking doors and improved their look with a touch of red for one and a touch of green for the other. We are always glad to have him on any of the Scituate historical sites. Nate is the grandson of Scituate icon Nat Tilden. THE SCITUATE HARBOR CULTURAL DISTRICT IS ESTABLISHED Scituate Historical Society President David Ball and Trustee Stephen Litchfield have been appointed by the Board of Selectman to the newly established committee working to fufill the requirements of the Massachusetts Cultural District initiative. Stretching from Satuit Brook to Scituate Light, this initiative brings together town government, business groups, and civic groups like the Scituate Historical Society and the Arts Association, in the promotion of all the different aspects of life that flower here in Scituate. Part of the Society’s contribution will be the display of the restored Cushing Shay in Scituate Harbor in early May. Another contribution made by the Society is the creation of a set of posters that capture the Harbor of days gone by. A small sampler of choices that were set aside for another time is below. You will have to visit during the first Friday kick off to see the cream of the crop. Several of these images are taken from the Jacobsen/Twomey Postcard Collection. It is truly a treasure trove that will be mined in more andmore depth as this year continues. The Scituate Historical Society looks forward to sharing more and more of the neighborhoods and the landmarks of the town with this remarkable tool. ONE MORE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE IN PLACE AT GAR HALL Members and supporters of the Scituate Historical Society take pride in the care given to all of the historic buildings in town by volunteers, trustees, and by vendors who always seem to take a little more of their own time to be sure that each job is done right. The most recent example is at the Grand Army Hall where through the efforts of Bob Chessia, Pam Martell, Jeff Martell, David Ball, and Warren Cowings, new doors have been installed. Hours beyond counting went into this project, with measurements, adjustments, consultations, and finally installation, resulting in a better secured, better looking, more reliable, set of doors on Scituate’s oldest public building. Our thanks to all of those involved. A WALK ON THE HARBOR SIDE As you read this the new boardwalk is likely being installed on the harbor side of Scituate Light. A perfect example of the virtues of Community Preservation Funds, the boardwalk brings access to the water to all the guests of Scituate Light who saw their view impacted by the building of the incredibly effective revetment two years ago The boardwalk is six feet wide and runs one hundred sixty-eight feet from the parking lot flagpole to the concrete walkway in front of the lighthouse. What was lost is now restored with the boardwalk. The walk will remain in place through the summer and early fall. PROJECTS ON THE HORIZON WITH TOWN MEETING APPROVAL The annual Town Meeting for the Town of Scituate was the occasion for three significant votes for the Scituate Historical Society. Community Preservation funds were approved for projects at Lawson Tower, at Scituate Light, and at the Little Red Schoolhouse. Lawson Tower will be evaluated for a possible exhibition space inside the former water tower.