LYME HERITAGE COMMISSION
September 27, 2011
MINUTES
PRESENT: Ray Clark, chair, Jane Fant, Charlotte Furstenberg, Adair Mulligan, regular members; Laurie Wadsworth, Tim Cook, alternates; Simon Carr, Selectperson
ABSENT:
1. Minutes: The minutes of the August 23 meeting were approved as amended. (2d, insert the word “would”)
2. Secretary: We were urged to appoint a permanent secretary instead of taking turns at the job. It was agreed to appoint Charlotte Furstenberg if she is agreeable. However since Charlotte would be late for this meeting, Laurie Wadsworth agreed to take minutes tonight. (Later in the meeting, Charlotte agreed to take the job, at least for the first year.)
3. Guests: Chairman Clark announced that two different guests would attend tonight’s meeting, each seeking advice from the Heritage Commission:
;Members of the Commission offered sources for the history of the building, and of the Lyme Common Historic District, such as publications of the Lyme Historians, the town website, and the NH Preservation Alliance. (The library is within this Historic District.)
f. Commission members urged the Library Board to keep us informed of their progress as they put the project out to bid and firm up their plans.
5. Lyme Congregational Church – 200th celebration of the building in 2012
a. Abbe Murphy explained that she will head a committee to plan the church’s anniversary celebration of the building’s 200 years. She has already talked with other sources and came to our meeting seeking our ideas.
b. Commission members offered several ideas and suggestions, such as a structural tour, which could be in video form, and constructing a 3D model.
c. Abbe shared a list of ideas they are considering, which would take place throughout the year. These include special services, music, suppers and exhibits.
d. There was discussion of the historic significance of the church building in the history of Lyme and the Upper Valley. Abbe shared some of the research that she has already conducted. It was lamented by all that there seems to be little information about what the original building looked like, or when and why the sanctuary was moved to the second floor.
e. Answering Commissioners’ questions, Abbe also noted the location of all the church records, and the possible funding for their building celebrations.
f. Our recommendations to the LCC:
all the historic records into one place
e Lyme Foundation, as their approval would signal this as a worthy project.
8. Next Steps
a. Write a questionnaire for residents of historic structures: We decided to talk to the consultant, Liz, first. As noted above, we will wait to do this until we know how much money we will have to hire her.
b. List from Diana Calder of historic (pre 1940) structures in town. Simon will ask her for this before our next meeting.
9. Our role with residents
a. Members noted that we spent considerable time with our two guests tonight. All agreed that hearing about projects from residents, and really listening to them, should be a vital part of our role in the town. However, our discussions digressed into many subtopics which probably are not in our charge, such as brainstorming ideas for celebrations.
b. It was agreed that our role should be for advice and recommendations to all residents who come before us.
c. The idea was floated of our forming some sort of basic outline of broad questions that we would always ask our guests to come prepared to answer. As the hour was late, no decision was made. Members should think about this topic for future consideration.
10. Next meeting: Tuesday, October 25, 2011.
Meeting adjourned at 8:42 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Laurie Wadsworth
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