At the most recent Londonderry Heritage Commission meeting, a discussion took place regarding the Historical Society.
David Colglazier, a member of the Heritage Commission who also serves as the Treasurer for the Historical Society said by the next Heritage meeting, they expect to have a list of a few things completed “that was approved by this commission about three years ago.”
“We got a lot of them done right away but we’ve been hanging around trying to find some way to do the electrical work and we got some electrical work repaired, we need to have a little more run,” he said.
It led to a question from Town Councilor Ted Combes about discussions between the Town and the Historical Society about it becoming a Town Committee.
“Was there any further discussion about making the Historical Society an actual Town Committee,” Combes asked.
Colglazier said he was unsure. “Not that I know,” he said.
Combes explained that the previous Town Manager was supposed to have a meeting regarding it.
“I know that at least our former Town Manager was supposed to have a meeting regarding that at one point but I guess that must have fallen to the wayside with some busy items,” Combes said.
Combes said if they became a town committee the Town Council “could actually contribute money within a budget at some point if it actually becomes a Town Committee compared to a separate entity.”
Heritage Commission Vice Chair Art Rugg said “Historically the town has always contributed in kind or with money appropriated through a warrant article because we appropriated money.”
Combes said one of the ideas would be to try to attract people to the committee, and by making it a Town Committee they could help with advertising.
He said he could talk to the Acting Town Manager about beginning to have the conversations with the Historical Society.
According to the Historical Society website, the organization was formed in the mid-1950s.
“On Feb. 15, 1956, about a dozen people met at the Leach Library and formed the Londonderry Historical Society,” the organization’s website states. “The group defined its mission as the “discovering, procuring, and preserving of whatever may relate to the natural, civil, literary, and ecclesiastical history of the town.”
The Historical Society’s property is located at 140 Pillsbury Road, and according to the organization’s website is “home to the Morrison House Museum, the Parmenter Barn, the Clark Blacksmith Shop, and the Litchfield Carriage Shed.”
The next Heritage Commission meeting is set for May 22 at 7 p.m.
More information about the Londonderry Historical Society can be found by visiting londonderryhistory.org.