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Jaffrey Historical Society proposes leasing former Town Office to protect aging collections
Summary
Peter Lambert told the Budget Committee the Jaffrey Historical Society seeks to lease the former Town Office’s first floor (2,400 sq ft), fund renovations at its own expense, and move collections out of the Civic Center basement citing accessibility and flood risks.
Peter Lambert of the Jaffrey Historical Society presented a proposal to the Town of Jaffrey Budget Committee on Jan. 15 to lease and renovate the first floor of the former Town Office to house the society’s collections and public displays.
Lambert told the committee the society has been based in the Jaffrey Civic Center basement since 1966 but that space is not ADA compliant, is susceptible to flooding and lacks climate control, leaving some items boxed and not on display. He said the first floor of the former Town Office is about 2,400 square feet and could be converted into display rooms, a kitchenette for events and vault storage in the former Town Clerk area.
The society proposed to pay for all renovations and pursue fundraising for any additions. Lambert said the group would prefer to lease the entire building eventually, noting that many area historical societies occupy dedicated buildings. He asked the committee to support moving the plan forward while the Town Manager consults the town attorney about whether the Board of Selectmen has authority to lease without a town meeting vote.
No formal vote on the lease occurred at the Jan. 15 meeting; the committee received the presentation and supporting slideshow materials, which were to be emailed to members the following week. The meeting record notes Town Manager Frederick will seek legal advice on the appropriate next steps.
