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Select Board hears update on Hackett site cleanup; conservation commission to fund mowing
Summary
Town trustees and volunteers reported continued cleanup of the Hackett historic site, with the conservation commission agreeing to fund a contractor to mow and further site work. Trustees described new signage and plans for visitor kiosks and self-guided materials; some Select Board members urged a written plan before further spending.
Brookfield Select Board members received an update on volunteer and conservation work at the James Hackett historic site, and the conservation commission agreed to cover a contractor's fee to mow and clear portions of the property.
The trustees and volunteers said recent work cleared the cellar hole, the foundation of a former store and two old wells, and that grave markers at the small family cemetery were in "pristine condition," with American and state flags placed at the Colonel Hackett grave. "We finally put a sign up at the graveyard, first time in 223 years that the graveyard actually has a sign," said Susan Weiske, one of the three trustees of the Trust Fund.
Conservation contractor Corey Pike told trustees he could clear the site for $200; trustees reported the conservation commission agreed at its last meeting to provide the funds. "Corey said he would do the site for $200 and the conservation commission agreed to provide the funds for that for this year," a Select Board member summarized.
Trustees described steps to make the site more visitor-friendly: a large kiosk at the main site to tell the most important parts of James Hackett's story, and a smaller kiosk near the intersection of Old Governors Road and Lyford Road to attract passersby. Trustees are also developing a printed trifold with a site map and short biographies so visitors can take a self-guided tour.
Some Select Board members and attendees urged caution before additional spending. One board member said the town should have "a plan in front of the town as to what we're gonna accomplish and how much money it's going to cost the town" before authorizing further expenditures; another noted that some residents cannot reasonably walk to the site and asked that access and parking plans be part of further planning.
Trustees said much of the current work has been volunteer labor and private donations. Trustees and volunteers said they will follow up with the conservation commission about adding the interior of the cemetery to the clearing work already planned for the cellar hole and adjacent foundation.
The board did not take a formal funding vote; Select Board members heard the update and recorded that conservation funds would be used to pay Pike for the mowing and initial clearing.
Background: the Hackett property has been the subject of volunteer preservation activity and occasional Select Board discussion. Trustees said their near-term priorities are clearing sightlines, erecting interpretive signage and kiosks, and documenting graves and features for public use.
