Shrewsbury – As part of its outreach to the community, the Shrewsbury Historical Society recently presented awards and scholarships to a number of area residents. The award winners include Lyn Lincourt, the recipient of the Spirit of History Award for her television program on historic mansions of Shrewsbury. James and John Heald and David Chiampa were presented with the Society's Preservation and Restoration Award for their restoration of the Sumner House.
Scholarship winners include Lara Underkoffler, the recipient of the Society's Stephen Porter Scholarship and Jillian O’Neill, who received the Jean McDonald Graham Scholarship.
Stephen Porter, a longtime Shrewsbury Historical Society member, was actively involved in local history and the historic restoration and preservation of the District #5 Schoolhouse on the corner of Old Mill Road and West Main Street.
The Jean McDonald Graham Scholarship was initiated to encourage Shrewsbury students to learn about their local history and become active in the community. As a longtime member of the society, Graham felt it was especially important to bring the generations together to share in the preservation of the town's history. The award is given annually to a Shrewsbury High School senior who intends to pursue studies in a history-related field.
The Shrewsbury Historical Society was organized in 1898 and incorporated June 23, 1902. As part of its mission statement, the purpose of the society is to “keep alive and increase interest in the history of the town of Shrewsbury.”
