WINCHESTER HISTORICAL SOCIETY APPOINTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Major Step in Transformation of Sanborn House into a Public Institution
The Winchester Historical Society has appointed Rebekah Beaulieu as its new Executive Director, effective immediately. Ms. Beaulieu will also manage the Sanborn House Historical and Cultural Center, located at 15 High Street in Winchester, which now is open to the public on a regular basis.
Bob Colt, President of the Winchester Historical Society said, “Rebekah was the unanimous choice from a very strong field of applicants and possesses the combination of an impressive academic background and some analogous fund-raising experience which make her a great fit for the Winchester community and the development of the Sanborn House as a true historical and cultural center. The future is bright with such a talented, energetic and dedicated individual working for the good of Winchester in developing this grand house.”
Ms. Beaulieu’s arrival marks a new period in the life of the Sanborn House. A stunning example of Beaux-Arts architecture, the Sanborn House was originally built in 1907 and since 2006 the Town of Winchester has given the stewardship to the Winchester Historical Society, an organization dedicated to sharing Winchester’s rich history with its community. The Society has worked tirelessly to restore the building to its original beauty, currently planning an extensive capital campaign and recently earning a permanent preservation restriction for the site at this past fall’s Town Meeting.
An academic as well as a professional, Ms. Beaulieu is a doctoral candidate in American and New England Studies at Boston University. She has significant experience in fund-raising for non-profit organizations, most notably the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago and the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago. Ms. Beaulieu received a graduate degree in Arts Administration from Columbia University.
The Sanborn House Historical and Cultural Center is now open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment. To learn more about the Winchester Historical Society and the Sanborn House, please call 781-721-0135. (January 14, 2010)
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Preservation Restriction Approved
by Ellen Knight
In November, Town Meeting approved a permanent preservation restriction for the Sanborn House, a tool to improve the Society’s chances of getting grants to help with the Sanborn’s restoration.
In 2006, when the Society signed a lease with the town to restore and manage the Sanborn House as an historical and cultural center for the community, the town conveyed a five-year preservation restriction to the Massachusetts Historical Society. Seeing the expiration date approaching, the Society requested that the restriction become permanent.
“Restoring and maintaining the house requires significant resources,” Nancy Schrock told Town Meeting. The Society has taken in about $275,000 over the past three years and, with the added contribution of labor and materials, has made substantial improvements inside and out. The Society needs an additional $1.2 million to continue the restoration work. Although the Society secured an allocation of $125,000 in State funds, that funding was later lost to State cutbacks.
State and federal agency grants and private foundations are potential sources for funding, Schrock said, but “competition is intense.” Illustrating her point by reference to specific grant-awarding groups and their criteria, she said a permanent preservation restriction significantly increases the chances of getting grants, as does a record of community support.
Selectman Tom Howley said that the Board of Selectmen recommended approval. Peter Cheimets reported that the Finance Committee was in favor. (The School Committee also voted its support at its own meeting.) Following a few questions, Town Meeting passed the motion with a nearly unanimous vote. (November 2009)
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