Volunteer Choices
Lawrence History Center is looking for volunteers to help with our collections.
Have you ever wanted to see the original land appraisal of your family's home in the Plains? How about those Lawrence High School Class photographs from the 1890's? Maybe you are a scrapbook maker and would like to work with our large collection of scrapbooks. Are you a political junkie? Maybe a book lover. if talking to people is your pleasure then we have a place for you.
LHC has many volunteer opportunities working within the variety of our collection. From photographs, books, objects, archives, old maps to oral history interviewing and transcribing - even helping to restore the Historic Essex Company Complex.
Training is provided. Times are flexible.
If you love history, then you will enjoy volunteering with the staff and volunteers of the Lawrence History Center. Bring a friend!
For more information, call 978. 686. 9230 and ask for Barbara or Amita or email us at barbara@lawrencehistory.org or amita@lawrencehistory.org
You will not be bored!
A. Koch and M. Leone, LHC Volunteers at 2008 Bread & Roses Festival in North Common
Clark Shoes and the Two Ten Foundation
October 22, 2009 was very active day at the LHC. Employees of the Clarks Company,NA of Newton, Ma came to lend a hand! As a part of the
Two Ten Foundation Mission, fifteen men and women arrived at the Center around 9:00 a.m and got right to work! After a brief "lecture" on Lawrence History and the Essex Company and truncated tour of the complex, Kathy Flynn, LHC volunteer, explained what we had in mind for them to do, supplies were handed out and the fun began. They cleaned out the recently repaired stable; they planted mums in the courtyard; they sorted hundreds of records from the old Essex County Jail.
None of these tasks were particularly glamorous but they absolutely needed to be done. It is amazing what fifteen interested people can accomplish in a few hours! They were so friendly and so hard working. It was such a benefit not only to have them volunteer here for a few hours but to be able to share the Lawrence story once again!
Thank you to Clarks Company,NA,their terrific employees and to the Two Ten Foundation! Hope to see you all again soon.
Diane Pitochelli~In Memoriam
Phil Laudani- Lawrencian Through & Through
Salem State College
Preparing for the September 15, 2009 USCIS Ceremony ( Naturalization ceremony and the Outstanding American By Choice award) in the courtyard meant a lot of "tidying up" needed to get done. Much to our surprise and pleasure, we had a call from Salem State College to ask if we needed any volunteer help. As part of their school year orientation they do community outreach~ and we were very happy to say "yes!"
The students arrived first thing in the morning - prepared to spend the day. After a brief introduction to the History Center and to the site, they began to work- they did everything from painting, weeding, moving equipment and boxes. The made a huge difference in to appearance of the complex. After they ate their box lunches, we went on the walking tour of Lawrence . Starting at the Essex Company building and ending at the dam they asked many questions and learned a lot about mill power and industrialization, immigration and Lawrence history.
We at the History Center are very grateful for all that they did. They were wonderful young men and women and we hope to see them back again soon!
Video of Courtyard Ceremony
Story of the USCIS Day at LHC
Al Koch - 2010 Virginia H. Cole Community Service Award
The Lawrence History Center Congratulates Al Koch! This spring, 2010, at Town Meeting in Andover, that community honored Al with the Virginia H. Cole Community Service Award for his volunteer commitment to the Andover Village Improvement Society (A.V.I.S.), the Eagle Scouts and the Andover Historical Society.
The Lawrence History Center is most fortunate to have Al Koch as one of our earliest and most dedicated volunteers. Al, a former LHC Board member, was a right hand man to Eartha Dengler in all things relating to the Essex Company complex and he was the Center's in-house photographer.
Al was born and raised in Lawrence, graduated from Lawrence schools and is a veteran of World War II. Al and his family settled in Andover. Working as an engineer, Al spent his professional career with AVCO. Al is still involved with Scouting in the Merrimack Valley and continues his support of the Lawrence History Center. Congratulations, Al!