The Southborough Historical Commission on Oct. 1 completed routine administration and discussed several community‑facing projects tied to the town’s tricentennial and ongoing preservation work.
The commission elected officers by roll call: Kevin Miller was re‑elected chair (5–0), Grant Farrington was elected vice chair (5–0), and Annie Pfaff was appointed treasurer (5–0). Miller said the commission will continue to stagger administrative actions when members are absent but wanted to complete the slate ahead of fall events.
Members reviewed a Sept. 28 ice‑cream social that brought modest public participation, drew some new volunteers for subcommittees, and helped sell a small number of commemorative bricks. Michelle Hoganson reported three oral‑history interviews had been recorded for tricentennial use and that technical issues with the recording studio remain unresolved; she is coordinating further interviews and photo collection, and the commission discussed pairing interview audio or video with historic photos for distribution.
The commission also discussed outreach: updating the town website to present house‑sign program information and local histories, increasing a social‑media presence to highlight properties such as those on Chestnut Hill Farm, and coordinating with the Southborough Historical Society for archival photos. Kevin Miller noted a privately made Boston & Worcester Railway sign has been placed temporarily with DPW staff who proposed a low‑cost mounting solution; DPW will handle mounting when schedules permit.
The commission did not take binding policy or spending actions on outreach at the meeting but asked members to prepare ideas for a public‑facing program and to coordinate with town staff and the historical society.