By Michael Oliveira
Have a love of North Attleborough’s past? The Historical Commission a role for you.
The North Attleborough Historical Commission is seeking to fill three open seats, along with two alternates.
The town has four active groups involved in the stewardship of the historic sites of North Attleborough. These include the Historical Commission, Historical Society, Falls Fire Barn Preservation Society and Mount Hope Cemetery Association.
Besides the commission, the other three groups are all nonprofit.
“We are a volunteer board governed by Mass General Law appointed by the town manager to identify, evaluate and protect the historical and archaeological assets of our town and we take this mission seriously” said Sandra McCory, the town’s administrative coordinator. “Although we have a limited budget, we stretch it to the limit and depend on financial assistance from private donations, government grants, and fundraisers to move our restoration projects forward.”
The commission was established in 1976 by a Town Meeting vote. The mandated duties defined in Mass General Law Chapter 40, Section 8D are:
- To cooperate with the state archaeologist in conducting surveys and reporting on sites.
- To coordinate with other preservation organizations.
- To keep accurate records of meetings and votes which are public information and to file an annual report with the town.
- To maintain a membership of not less than three and no more than seven members, duly appointed by the Board of Selectmen.
In addition to these responsibilities, members may also undertake any number of activities they would like for the purpose of preserving, protecting and developing the historic and archaeological assets of North Attleborough.
Commission meetings are held once a month on Thursday evenings, and there is no specific deadline for applications for those interested in applying for these open positions. For more information, call 508-699-0100, extension 2533.
The list of National Register Listings for North Attleborough include:
- Angle Tree Stone
- Attleboro Falls Gasholder Building
- Attleboro Falls Historic District: Towne / Mt. Hope Streets (64 listings)
- Commonwealth Avenue Historic District (13 listings)
- Cottage/Freeman Streets Historic District (39 listings)
- Towne Street Historic District (eight listings including garages, barns and a picket fence)
- Codding Farm
- Falls Fire Barn
- Alarm Bell from the Falls Fire Barn Tower
- Grace Episcopal Church
- H. F. Barrows Manufacturing Company Building (now NAPD)
- High, Church, Gould Streets Historic District
- Holmes School Historic District
- Old Town Historic District
- Richards Memorial Library
- Town Center Historic District
- South Washington Street Historic District
- Woodcock, Hatch, Maxcy Historic District
