Town guest outlines deed, responsibilities and vision for the Smith House

John Bird, a town official invited to the meeting, reviewed the Smith House’s deed of transfer and the responsibilities the town assumed when the property was returned in 1974. Bird said the deed requires the town to maintain and preserve the house, its grounds and furnishings, to keep the house on its present foundation and to provide public access consistent with the donor’s conditions.

Bird outlined five parts of his memo: responsibilities established by the deed, the committee structure and appointments, a legal review of a curator position, insurance requirements for events and a proposed vision for the property that includes expanded exhibits and programming. He said the town could consider assigning oversight responsibilities to the historic commission and that there is no reverting clause in the deed. "The lot referred to here and after is the house, the grounds and trees ... to be kept to maintain and preserve by the town ... as a historic site in their present general condition," Bird said, summarizing language from the deed.

Members and Bird discussed how to balance preservation with public programming, including where plans and architectural studies are stored and how to bring the community into events while protecting artifacts and structure. Bird and members agreed to search town files, Public Works and archival holdings for existing plans and studies and to report back at the next meeting.