At a Special Town Meeting on October 19, 2022 voters approved the Recommendation of the Select Board’s Ad-Hoc Committee on the North Schoolhouse.
| Below is the letter that MWHS sent to its members and friends recommending support of the Ad-Hoc Committee’s Recommendation that the Schoolhouse be moved to Garrett Garden. Funding would be provided by (if awarded) a Mass Cultural Council grant matched by private funds (if raised). *************** Dear Members and Friends of the Mount Washington Historical Society: Four years ago, the town Select Board appointed an ad-hoc Committee to study the future of the North Schoolhouse. The Committee, together with the town Cultural Council, commissioned historical studies, architectural studies, and environmental studies to assess the best way of ensuring the survival of the historic building. That committee has now made its recommendation and the Select Board has issued a warrant for the town to vote on it. Your Historical Society Board supports that recommendation and urges your support as well. THE SCHOOLHOUSE CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE – If left in its current location, the Schoolhouse will continue to deteriorate and be subject to ongoing water damage, vandalism and the threat of arson. Extensive research and analysis has been completed by the Ad Hoc Schoolhouse Committee to evaluate the options for preserving the Schoolhouse. This work, together with the findings and recommendations, were presented to the Town during two meetings held at the Town Hall on September 29th and October 2nd. The experts consulted say that an historic building must be used, and available, in order to be saved. A relocated Schoolhouse could be used for committee meetings, small cultural events, small art shows and historical displays. OUR RECOMMENDATION MWHS recommends support of the ad-hoc Committee’s recommendation that Schoolhouse be relocated to a site on town land in Garrett Garden and then restored with necessary improvements to make it ADA compliant. The proposed move and renovation would be funded by a Mass Cultural Council Matching Capital Grant and private funds raised by the MWHS and donated to the Town. NO TAXPAYER FUNDS INVOLVED No Mount Washington taxpayer funds would be used for the move and renovation – this is a specific requirement of the warrant that the Select Board signed. If the grants don’t come through or enough private funds aren’t raised, nothing will happen. YOUR SUPPORT AND VOTE ON OCTOBER 19th This is a pivotal moment for the MWHS – and our mission to preserve the history and historic buildings of Mount Washington. We ask that all members of the MWHS who are voters in the Town make every effort to ensure that they and their eligible family members and friends attend the Special Town Meeting on October 19th and vote in favor of the Ad-Hoc Committee’s recommendation. Thank you. |