Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Markers topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sudbury commissions back removing tercentenary highway markers, propose preservation and recontextualization
Summary
The Sudbury Historical Commission and Historic District Commission agreed on a joint position supporting removal of five 1930s tercentenary highway markers from public roadways, provided removal follows MassDOT law, artifacts are preserved, and the town develops museum-quality recontextualization and public-history exhibits.
The Town of Sudbury's Historical Commission presented a consensus position on Oct. 28 recommending the removal of five tercentenary highway markers from public roadways and the recontextualization of those markers through museum-quality exhibits or other public-history programs.
Michael (Historical Commission) told the joint meeting that the markers, installed in 1930 as part of a statewide program, "reflect the nativism and racism of the era when they were erected" and are now often inaccessible or misleading for modern viewers. He said the commission's recommendation rests on three conditions: that the town follow applicable legal procedures under MassDOT jurisdiction, that the markers be preserved as historical artifacts, and that the town use removal as an opportunity to provide updated context and public-history interpretation. "They are historical artifacts that should be preserved," Michael said, arguing removals must be handled legally and with interpretive follow-through.
Commissioners discussed several options for where removed markers could be displayed, including the Sudbury Historical Society museum, a Town Hall vestibule, Heritage Park or the Haines Garrison site. Jordan Watts said he opposed leaving the signs in place without interpretation but favored relocating them to "a permanent display with contextualizing text so the original language remains visible to show historical change." Other members endorsed removal coupled with a program of interpretation for residents and visitors.
Public commenters urged the commissions to center Indigenous perspectives. Diana Warren, a resident who testified during the meeting, said the markers "cause ongoing harm" to Indigenous peoples and urged commissioners not to return the markers to any public display in town without careful consideration of Indigenous voices. Athena Education founder Katina Fontes urged removal as a first step and recommended indoor, curated exhibits because the iron markers rust and restoration can be costly; she said the Sudbury Fight marker cost about $18,000 to restore recently.
The commissions agreed to edit a one-page consensus statement and present a joint recommendation to the Select Board. That statement will request removal be pursued "in a legal manner," call for preservation of the markers as artifacts, and recommend the town invest in recontextualizing exhibits and signage in an appropriate town-center location or other suitable sites. The Select Board presentation will include representation from both commissions when scheduled.
Next steps: the commissions will finalize the edited one-page document and present it to the Select Board; no removal will take place until MassDOT jurisdictional steps and preservation plans are resolved.
