When I heard the off-handed suggestion by one of our selectmen, “We could sell it…” in reference to our Town Hall (reference below), it sent a chill through me that I couldn’t explain. Somehow a sense that history has lost its way here in Sterling. A feeling that the structures built by our forefathers hold little or no meaning. It was a blow to what I treasure most about our small Town. I treasure the history of our Town, our esteemed town elders past that built our Town and our historic buildings represent that history. It is a testament to our distinguished past and the people that helped shape our Community. Selling the Town Hall simply to relieve ourselves of the financial responsibility seems depraved. And, at what cost? It relegates our past to rubble to be forever forgotten.
But that seems to be the trend. You can see it in the Sterling Inn which is falling into a state of disrepair from which it may never recover. You can see it in the Town Hall’s neighbor at 33 Main Street, a once grand Congregational Church and later a fully-rented office building which has sadly lost its purpose and casts a shadow on our Town Common. You can see it in the West Sterling River District School House that is badly in need of painting and repair. You can see it in the unreadable signs to our historic cemeteries. You can see it in the exhausting struggle to affect repairs to the Town Hall.
Have we lost our way? Has history lost its value? What is it that I have grown to understand? Why does history mean so much to me and why was the Town Hall so valuable — in my eyes? What value does the memory and legacy of our forefathers have for me? And why doesn’t everyone share the same sense of history.
With a handful of citizens concerned about the history of our Town including members of the 1835 Town Hall Committee, members of the Sterling Historical Commission, our Town Clerk, our Library Director and a precious few citizens, we struggle with this very issue. What can be done about this seemingly harsh disparity of values?
How do you describe what is lost when an historic building or site falls into disrepair, deteriorates and disappears? What is the big deal anyway and why should we care?
We should care, else we forget…
- We forget our past.
- We forget how we got to this place of freedom and independence.
- We forget how strong a community we once had here in Sterling.
- We forget about the sacrifices our forefathers made which helped create this place we call home.
- We forget the generous gestures of past benefactors and overlook the conditions of their donations.
We should care, else we lose sight…
- We lose sight of the labors and struggles of past generations
- We lose sight of what makes this Town special.
- We lose sight of our values and why they are important
We should care, else we forever lose…
- We lose some of our character, charm and appeal.
- We lose a bit of our pride in our heritage.
- We lose the spirit of what has made our Town special and unique.
- We lose our sense of place
Our Town Hall is quite special. It is built on land donated in 1799 by Ebenezer Pope to the inhabitants of the Town of Sterling forever to be used for Town affairs. Upon that land, the first Townhouse in Worcester County was erected in 1800. How advanced were our forefathers that, ahead of all other Towns, they should construct the first Townhouse separating Church from State in all of Worcester County. It later became too small and was moved down the street where it stands to this day and was replaced by our current Town Hall built in 1835. The dedication was a gala event and the dedicatory speech was delivered by Edwin Conant, who was one of Sterling’s most a proud citizen, noted attorney, generous benefactor and eloquent speaker. The building is constructed of large timbers, hand crafted columns, with many wonderful features temporarily hidden by recent renovations. It has hosted great men and events including a visit by Lafayette as he ceremoniously travelled through Sterling. It hosted grand exhibitions, ballroom dances, orchestras, auctions and meetings too numerous to count. It has been home to the library, fire house, police station, jail, meetinghouse, public works department and town government. It has stood at the center of our Common along with impressive churches of past and present. And after almost 2 centuries, it is still used every day for community and recreational events. It is in the Department of Interior’s National Register of Historic Places. Thanks to a few industrious and caring people that recognize the value of this old and wonderful building, it is part of the fabric of our lives.
So what do we do to rekindle the interest in history and devotion to our Town Hall and other historic sites? How do we inspire leadership to take a stake in protecting the value of history in our Town? Deep down, we all share the same love of history, especially our history. It’s not that people don’t care, they do. The people of our Town care deeply. But people are busy. They are raising families, earning a living, making ends meet. They don’t have time. They need to pick their battles. We all have experience with the loss of time. And busy people are often silent in the community. For 30 years, I was one of those silent people. I was busy. I get it. History, we can put that on the back burner, right?
Wrong.
It is time for the silent people to weigh in and speak out on behalf of history. if only for a moment. Reach out and share your voice. Join us in saving a piece of history, our history.
Send an email to info@sterling1835TownHall.org or visit and like our FaceBook Page https://www.facebook.com/Sterling1835TownHall/.
Respectfully,
Robert McKay Jones
Chair
1835 Town Hall Committee
http://www.townhallstreams.com/locations/sterling-ma/events/33795/sterling_main – Minute 51:10