By Justin Roshak, Contributing Writer
HUDSON – An article on this month’s town meeting warrant would appropriate $3,550 from the Historic Preservation Reserve to create a historic marker for the front of the Unitarian Church in downtown Hudson.
The project application details an example sign with text.
“The Unitarian Church (Lawrence Church) was founded by abolitionists in 1861,” that text reads. “Since then, the church has been a beacon of hope, voice for justice, and sanctuary of peace. This church has listed such speakers as Mark Twain, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Frederick Douglass. It was an important stop on the Underground Railroad, before and during the Civil War. The original Town Charter was signed here in 1866.”
The sign itself would be 40 by 70 inches and made from ¼ inch thick aluminum composite. It would have white text on a red background with an anti-graffiti coating.
The text is subject to approval by the Historic District Commission and the Board of Directors of the church.
The style of the marker would match the wayfinding signs which Hudson has planned for the downtown.
The same article, Article 8, would also allocate $18,750 for a second round of historical property surveys. A first phase, funded by a grant, added many Hudson buildings to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS) over the last few years.
If approved, this second phase would hire a consultant to research, catalogue and advocate for the addition of more Hudson properties, according to Community Preservation Committee aide and Assistant Director of Planning and Community Development Pam Helinek.
The Community Preservation Committee approved both projects. The Finance Committee recommends the adoption of Article 8 by a vote of six to two with no abstentions.
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