Date: Saturday, April 10, 2027 

Location: YDO, Everett Mills, 15 Union Street, Lawrence 

Proposal Deadline: Friday, December 8, 2026 

Contact(s): Susan Grabski, Executive Director, Lawrence History Center, director@lawrencehistory.org 

This Lawrence History Center Community Symposium is designed for exploration and dialogue, thinking broadly about the Waters of Lawrence and the Region through the multi-disciplinary lens of the humanities. 

At the confluence of the Merrimack, Spicket, and Shawsheen rivers, water has shaped the history, development, and daily life of Lawrence, Massachusetts. From the construction of the Great Stone Dam, which harnessed the Merrimack's power to fuel the city's textile mills, to pioneering water filtration experiments that advanced public health, water has long influenced Lawrence's neighborhoods, economy, and culture. 

Today, these waterways continue to define the region. They provide recreation, sustain local ecosystems, and remain deeply woven into the lives of residents. At the same time, conversations about water quality, scarcity, climate resilience, environmental justice, and the growing demands of AI data centers have brought renewed attention to one of our most vital resources. 

The Lawrence History Center invites scholars, artists, students, educators, environmental advocates, and community members to explore the many ways water has shaped—and continues to shape—Lawrence and communities throughout the Merrimack Valley and beyond. 

We welcome proposals for presentations, panel discussions, workshops, storytelling, creative works, exhibits, and community-based projects. 

Suggested Topics 

Examples include, but are not limited to: 

Lawrence-Specific Themes

  • The construction, engineering, and legacy of the Great Stone Dam
  • Water power and the rise of Lawrence's textile industry
  • The Merrimack River Flood of 1936 and other floods or natural disasters
  • Water filtration experiments and public health innovations
  • The history and straightening of the Spicket River
  • Industrial infrastructure, including canals, gatehouses, and pumping stations
  • Stories of mill workers, immigrant communities, and the city's relationship with its waterways
  • Community memories of swimming, boating, fishing, and recreation
  • Neighborhood development influenced by rivers and canals
  • Environmental justice and equitable access to riverfront spaces 

Regional and Broader Themes 

  • Water, immigration, and industrial labor
  • Public health, sanitation, and municipal water systems
  • Water scarcity, resource management, and emerging demands such as AI data centers
  • Environmental change, river ecology, and watershed conservation
  • Recreation, outdoor culture, and community use of waterways
  • Climate change, flooding, and the future of water in the Merrimack Valley
  • Urban planning, infrastructure, and water management
  • Indigenous relationships with rivers and waterways before industrialization
  • Art, photography, literature, music, or storytelling inspired by water
  • Oral histories and personal narratives connected to rivers, ponds, lakes, or streams

Presenter Guidelines and Submission Requirements include: 

We welcome papers, panels, narrative art, short videos, and photo essays on, but not limited to, the topics listed above from community members, community organizations, scholars, practitioners, researchers, funding organizations, middle/high school, and undergraduate/graduate students. Individual and panel presentations welcome. Historical continuity is encouraged. 

  • Prepare a proposal (500 words or less)
  • Submissions must include contact information and brief biographies for speaker(s) of 200 words or less, written in third person. All co-presenters, if applicable, will need to be listed as well (limit of 3). 
  • Each session is 75 minutes (one hour for presentation(s), including a 15-minute Q&A session. Keep this in mind as you prepare your presentation. 

Proposal Deadline: Friday, December 8, 2026 

All submissions must be submitted electronically via the ONLINE PROPOSAL SUBMISSION FORM. If you do not receive an email confirmation, your proposal was not properly submitted or left incomplete. 

Notification of Acceptance: January 22, 2027 

All who submit proposals will be notified about the status of submissions (accepted or not) on Friday, January 22, 2027 at 4pm EST by email. 

Note: All participants/presenters will be asked to pay a $35 registration fee for the day to offset expenses (e.g., breakfast, lunch, the keynote speaker, technology in the presentation rooms, space rental, etc.). If this poses a problem, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate a reduced fee. 

Questions? 

Susan Grabski, Executive Director  
Lawrence History Center  
tel. 978.686.9230  
email: director@lawrencehistory.org