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Date: 12/6/2022
BRIMFIELD – Records dating back nearly 300 years will soon be preserved after the town of Brimfield was approved for the Roving Archivist Program.
On Nov. 10, Town Clerk Debra Fagerstrom received a letter from John D. Warner Jr., archivist of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, informing her of the approval.
Brimfield Historical Commission member Mike DeFalco informed Reminder Publishing that the town applied for this grant about three months ago. He explained that the program grants the town with a state archivist who comes in and conducts preservation assessments of historical records.
Once the archivist understands what the town has, they will provide recommendations on the best ways to preserve those records such as temperature control and storage. DeFalco said there are about four or five different categories they investigate.
DeFalco noted that receiving an assessment and viewing the documents better prepares them for future grant funding.
Over the past month and a half, DeFalco and a few other members of the Historical Commission have been visiting the Town Hall weekly to filter through the records and conduct inventory. Some of the findings have included Town Meeting minutes and voter registration dating back to the 1800s. With nearly 300 years’ worth of records, DeFalco said there are land boundaries from the 1730s along with information from the Congregational Church that was moved to the Town Hall after a hurricane in the 1930s.
“[It’s] pretty much a history of various aspects for the town of Brimfield,” said DeFalco.
“There’s so much stuff,” he continued. “Most people don’t even know what’s there. I don’t think any inventory has [ever] been done.” With a lot to filter through, he predicts that they still have several months of work ahead.
DeFalco shared that the process has been a cooperative effort with Fagerstrom and the Historical Commission. This includes Historical Commission members Rosanne Bergdoll and John Curtis. Brimfield resident Fran Pluth-McCarthy is also assisting.
With all the clerk’s responsibilities, DeFalco said assistance from the commission is crucial to put in the necessary hours for inventory. He added that the town’s historical records are under Fagerstrom’s control, so everything must be done with her approval. Together, they have been working to place the records in proper archival materials.
DeFalco said there is a “huge number” of towns looking to obtain this grant and is thankful that Brimfield was one of the recipients. He noted that shortly after the acceptance, the grant application was shut down. With many municipalities to visit, the state archivist will not be in town until the beginning of January or February 2023.
DeFalco shared that the town was also granted a state archivist around 2020, that came in to assess records at the Brimfield Library. He said they created a nearly 40-page report. DeFalco and Pluth-McCarthy spent about nine years at the library digitizing records, which is why he asked for her help once more.