New Archives Center!

After two years, many hurdles, and lots of persistence, we finally have the green light to build our new archives center at Munroe Tavern!
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The new archives center will be a barn-like structure built onto the back of Munroe Tavern, and will have three floors of usable space. The main floor will serve as exhibit space and a reading room, while the basement and upstairs will serve as storage space.
Our archives are currently housed in the basement of the Hancock-Clarke House. While this space is climate controlled and safe for the archives, it’s not handicap accessible and is not an ideal location for staff, volunteers, visitors, and researchers. It’s also not big enough.

Lexington Historical Society cares for documents, photographs, diaries, and letters, all of which serve as a window into the community’s past. If we don’t move the archives to a new building, we’ll no longer be able to accept new archival donations because the Hancock-Clarke basement is nearly maxed out. The new building will allow us to house our archives in an even better space, while still leaving room for more accessions.
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Earlier this month, a team of archaeologists dug in the ground where the building will be located, but found nothing of significance (that’s a good thing!).  We are scheduled to break ground for construction in early May, and expect to complete the project in late fall of 2018. Moving the archives will take a bit longer, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

For more information on this project, please visit http://www.lexingtonhistory.org/new-archives-center.html, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

To support the archives center with a financial contribution, please contact me at director@lexingtonhistory.org or (781) 862-1703.

-Erica Dumont, Executive Director