It is my hope that the town of Harvard will give Fruitlands Museum as much support and fair leniency with its requested adjustments to its licensing guidelines as it can.
Fruitlands is Harvard. The land and historical artifacts under Fruitlands’ stewardship are among Harvard’s most important assets. The site includes a National Historical Register District, and among the largest wilderness conservation areas in town. Its collection of Shaker documents and other artifacts is recognized internationally as among the greatest in the world. More than that, Fruitlands has been a uniquely helpful community citizen. In my capacities as chairman of the Historical Commission and a former member of the Community Preservation Committee, I have always found Fruitlands to be tremendously supportive of our town preservation and education efforts. Staff members have frequently given me free access to museum archives to research historical photographs, and have provided conservation guidance for town-owned artifacts such as the Shaker cemetery. The museum has donated generously to the historical preservation award at the Bromfield Science Fair. Fruitlands hosted the town’s fireworks—to my knowledge, without compensation. And it’s one of the only places in Harvard that one can go for a nice lunch.
All museums are currently struggling financially, and I believe that Harvard should be doing all we can to support Fruitlands in its important work. The activities the museum is embracing, beyond simply displaying artifacts, are necessary to its survival, and similar to what all museums are doing in order to keep their doors open. Fruitlands gives us so much.
In supporting Fruitlands, we are supporting Harvard itself. I urge the selectmen to consider this as they review Fruitlands’ requested licensing adjustments.
Jonathan Feist
Shaker Road
