Keeping Current with the Historical Commission

The Rochester Historical Commission is a passionate bunch, and five of them joined the Rochester Board of Selectmen on April 27 to make the board current on the commission’s recent activities and its endeavors yet to come.

Commission member Laurene Gerrior presented the board with an update on recent undertakings, such as commission member Betty Beaulieu’s efforts to get Eastover Farm listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the consent and assistance from the Hiller Family.

Beaulieu and fellow commission member Carol Higgins have also been following deeds in town back to their original holders, many of which Gerrior said go all the way back to “those merry men of Kent,” who were mostly from Scituate and received the land from the Native Americans through the Sippican Purchase in 1638. They subsequently named the town after their English hometown, Gerrior said.

“This is a very old town,” said Gerrior. When you tell someone you’re from Rochester, Gerrior said, people often ask if you’re from Rochester, New York. “No, no, we were the first ones,” Gerrior said in defense of the naming of her beloved town. “We go way back, folks. We may not have the fancy houses that Marion has, but we’ve got passion.”

Gerrior said the commission has also received several grants for tasks such as setting up a potential house marker program, researching genealogical questions that arise, and working with the historical commissions and historical societies of neighboring towns to “track down bits of Rochester history.” She added that Mattapoisett, Marion, and parts of Wareham and Fairhaven were all at one time part of Rochester.

“So, their history is part of Rochester history,” said Gerrior.

The commission is also looking to keep the Rochester sites listed on the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MCRIS) up to date, since the Massachusetts Historical Commission recently told the Rochester HC that there are some discrepancies in the information.

“The Rochester Historical Commission is passionate about the history of our town,” Gerrior told the board. “We welcome any stray bits of information that people have to offer, and sometimes we wish we had some extra cash to pick up items of local relevance that become available through various outlets such as eBay or local auctions.”

She welcomed selectmen and the public alike to attend the commission’s meetings every first Monday of every month at 7:00 pm in the conference room of the Senior Center on Dexter Lane.

Also during the meeting, Town Administrator Michael McCue told selectmen he would present to them a finalized Fiscal Year 2016 budget, as well as a final draft of the Annual Town Meeting Warrant for review, at the next scheduled meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen scheduled for May 4 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

ROsel_043015

Leave A Comment...

*