On September 23, 2023, the Lawrence History Center (LHC) held its 45th Annual Meeting and Open House. LHC board treasurer Mark Svendsen, in LHC board president Mark Cutler's stead, presided over the meeting at which Mark Cutler became immediate past president, Sara Morin Barth was installed as LHC board president, Andy Kelley moved into the LHC board vice president role, Karen Van Welden Herman took on the role of LHC board secretary, and one new board member -- Stelvyn Mirabal -- was elected by the membership to his first three year term. The meeting and open house marks 45 years since LHC was founded and took place in the Essex Company Stable, part of the Essex Company Office & Yard, a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

As of January 31, 2023, thanks to 177 donors who gave between $1 and $3,500 (via Cash, Check, PayPal, PayPal Giving Fund, and/or Facebook Fundraisers), we have surpassed our $30,000 Annual Appeal fundraising goal by over 10%!

The average gift was $187.34. All amounts, above and below, are an investment in our mission to collect, preserve, share, and animate the history and heritage of Lawrence and its people.

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Books


covid NEW BOOK! Covid Conversations: Voices from Lawrence & Lowell, Massachusetts

BOOK EVENT - Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 6:00PM at El Taller 275 Essex Street, Lawrence

Editors: Susan Grabski, Amita Kiley, Susan Tripathy
Lawrence-Based Narrators: Bianca Anonas, Sara Morin Barth, Tom Coppinger, Cristie Galíndez, Vilma Martínez-Dominguez, Carina Pappalardo, Dr. Marianela Rivera
Cover and Interior Layout Design: Ashley Rosario

Paperback

Quantity (may be changed in Cart)

Book Description:
Oral history interviews with people in Lawrence and Lowell, Massachusetts (the Merrimack River Valley), who experienced the sickness and pandemic living restrictions of Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021, plus diary excerpts from residents who reported on their daily fears, hopes, and challenges.

Produced by the Lawrence History Center and University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), with contributions from Phillips Academy Andover, this is the first published documentary about the impact of the pandemic in the Merrimack Valley. Interviews were conducted by sociology students from UML and Spanish language students from Phillips Academy Andover (guided by educator Mark Cutler). The two working-class, highly diverse cities in eastern Massachusetts had sustained high rates of infection with the related disruption of employment, education, and normal community life. The interviews offer a useful case study of the effects of Covid-19 in one region.