Stolen Plaque Recovered

The Old Belfry Plaque

Some good news for the Lexington community and for history buffs everywhere - the bronze plaque that marked the site of the Old Belfry that was stolen recently from Lexington Battle Green has been recovered safe and sound as reported here in the Wicked Local News from the Lexington Minuteman. Apparently a sharp eyed passerby spotted the plaque lying in some overgrown bushes a few feet from the edge of the road on Waltham St. in Lexington. With the help of Sgt. Chris Barry of the Lexington police the plaque was picked up and is now back in its rightful hands. It is not known how long the plaque had been laying there before being found.

History Under Fire

Brandywine National Park

The latest issue of Preservation magazine has this story, entitled "History Under of Fire", which reports that many states are responding to budget deficits by closing important historic sites. The magazine, published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, focuses on Pennsylvania where a number of important Revolutionary War battlefields and other historic sites have been closed. Volunteer organizations have stepped into the breach to keep these important places open to the public, but there is real fear that the loss of funding will lead to deterioration of the properties and even permanent closings.