Historical Commission urges MassDOT not to restore Tercentenary marker

SUDBURY — May 16, 2023 — Sudbury Historical Commission votes unanimously to oppose MassDOT restoration of Tercentenary marker. Chair Christopher Hagger will send District 3 Highway Director Barry Lorian a letter on official letterhead stating that "the Sudbury Historical Commission believes these signs are out of date" and that "a number of Sudbury residents and organizations find the words to be offensive," and recommending the marker not be restored and reinstalled after a planned fieldstone wall reconstruction at Concord and Boston Post roads. Member Diana Warren warned that simply repainting the 1930s marker "ensures it's going to last for many decades more." The commission will attach the 2021 Sudbury Clergy Association letter and copy the DEI Commission and Select Board. In the same meeting, members authorized up to $2,000 from the general fund to retain preservation consultant Peter Benton for scope-of-work drafting on the indigenous cultural landscape study and Hosmer House projects, and extended demolition-delay deadlines at 196 North Road (30 days) and 328 Hudson Road (60 days).