Each year we share a look at what we’ve been up to: the programs, the people, the collection, and the finances that keep Wayland’s history alive. Thank you for being part of it.
Reports to be Presented at the Annual Meeting, May 27, 2026
President’s Report
We are in the midst of celebrating our country’s 250th anniversary, including the history of Wayland from its earliest days. Jonathan Barkan, keynote speaker for HistoryFest in April, noted that “America needs historians. It’s always good to look back and important to look forward to the future – where we have come from to where we are now.” I think this is true for most places, and especially our town, and that is why it is important that our Wayland Historical Society flourishes and works diligently to bring history to life through the Grout-Heard House Museum, our programs, and our storytelling.
Wayland has so much history! We need amateur historians of all ages. People who are interested in our history and are curious, who wonder about artifacts and how they were used, who enjoy the search into events or ‘things’, who can document findings, and all who can tell the stories that contribute to the intrinsic character of Wayland, our culture, history, and community spirit that distinguish us from any other place. Wayland needs you!
During the Revolution, we were a hotbed of patriot activity. Residents stopped importing and buying British goods and decided to defy British law by choosing their own militia officers. They established training fields for the local militia and minutemen, a 9-acre site on the east side of the river (now a small triangle where Glezen Lane meets Training Field Road), a site on River Road for the west side of the river (near the current Sudbury town line), and the Loker farm in Cochituate for training Loker’s Light Horse cavalry of 21 men. On April 19, riders and soldiers gathered in front of the meetinghouse__ 136 men from the east side joining with established local companies from the west side, totaling 348 men__ to march toward Concord and Lexington. Note our annual report cover which depicts that re-enactment this year, thanks to Greg Dale.
Women on the home front managed the farms and family stores, produced homespun, made clothing, blankets, and bullets for the soldiers, engaged in political boycotts and raised funds for the troops. Men on the home front continued training to protect homes and the ammunition stores. They all risked their lives, their property, defending their ideals of liberty and self-determination. We owe them a lot….
We need you! A special thanks to you who support us with your membership, your attendance at our programs, your words of encouragement, your stepping forward when asked to help. Your contributions make us more effective and successful and encourage us to tell our “story”!
Our Executive Director, Scarlett Hoey, has completed her first year and a half at the helm. Maternal leave and extended family time afterward have limited her presence in the museum. She has been creating more community contacts, a variety of new programs and opportunities, new avenues of PR, creating and printing our newsletter, and applying for grants to support our efforts and improvements at the museum. Thank you, Scarlett, and we look forward to this coming year.
Kay Gardner-Westcott, our Curator, works tirelessly for our museum. We are grateful for the wide variety of things she does. Her love of history, curiosity about unusual items, knowledge of research techniques, skill in finding answers to tough questions, hours given above and beyond, all are incredibly valuable to our success. Thank you very much, Kay.
We recognize and thank our three Trustees of Funds – Cliff Lewis, Jon Weintraub, and Lynn Trimby – who served diligently to watch over our investments which currently provide an important part of our financial base for operating the Society and the Grout-Heard House Museum. Each is completing a one-year term.
We appreciate the effort and hours of work put in by Vicki LaFarge, Mary Farley, and Christopher LaFarge, our Vice President, Secretary, and Interim Treasurer, respectively. Each of our officers is appointed to serve a one-year term, so we are grateful for their contributions to the Society and their continuing service. Thank you so much!
We would like to acknowledge the participation of Joanne Berry and Greg Dale who are completing terms on the Board of Managers. Thankfully, they have both agreed to continue for another three-year term. We value the contribution of each one to our success.
This has been a busy year. Informative interesting programs, activities, and events__ all have offered us opportunities to learn about people, places, and times in our town’s history. You saw us at the Apple Fest at the Wayside Inn, Wayland Festival at Town Center, Lunar Festival, Hannah Willams Playground, Loker Elementary School, Girl Scout badge sessions. We created a weekend fundraising exhibit and silent auction at the Stitched in Time: Quilt Exhibit. A special thank you to all who helped research the quilters, donors, and parents of each of the quilted items. We are ready to send the results to the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell. A special showing of our wedding dresses highlighted the Red, White & ‘I Do” exhibit. While these dresses are out of storage, we are photographing, analyzing, and documenting in Catalogit (our new database) for each stain, tear, open seam, or unusual detail. Last fall’s displays at the Wayland Free Library introduced themes exhibiting items from our collections. The exhibit of our seldom seen lovely and complete silver collection in December was a special treat. The display of a diorama of our historical railroad center built by Steve Angelini created a rare moment to view his impressive work and a “bird’s-eye view” of what our railroad center looked like in its heyday.
The Holiday Open House, visited by nearly 200 people, was delightful. Guests enjoyed tea and goodies after meandering through the rooms of the museum. Kudos to Aida Gennis and Joanne Berry, and their crew of volunteers, for planning and carrying out this special event. As always, the Wayland Garden Club made wonderful and creative holiday arrangements in each room. Everyone enjoyed the music provided by the Wayland High School string quartet and choral group. We look forward to December 6, 2026!
A special project continues underway in our basement. I really appreciate the tremendous help of my painting crew, Greg Dale, Paul Doerr, Vicki LaFarge, and Art Jahnke, who painted the walls in the main basement with special moisture resistant paint. We still have the bay window and kitchen extension to do, plus the basement floor. When completed, artifacts can be reorganized and stored effectively. If you can assist me with this work, please let me know.
“What we do today becomes our history for tomorrow.” We have a long-range vision for our Wayland Museum & Historical Society, so we have more to accomplish as we look to the coming year. More exciting programs and events are being planned, research on collection items continues, “behind the scenes” daily work is never-ending, and care of the museum and its contents is ongoing. We encourage and welcome your interest, participation, and support in projects, programs and events. If you have a passion for history, old things, or Wayland trivia, come work with us. Drop by the museum on Tuesday or Thursday morning or call for an appointment to see where your skills and interests might help us with our work! We need you!
For our annual meeting program this year, we welcome Marilynne K. Roach, an independent researcher, writer, and illustrator. She has delved into the 1692 Salem trials for nearly half a century and still finds new information cropping up in unexpected places. She was one of the sub-editors contributing to the definitive Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt, a member of the Gallows Hill Group that verified Proctor’s Ledge as the true location of the 1692 hangings (hailed by Archaeology Magazine as one of the top ten discoveries of 2016), and has authored several articles and books about the Salem Witch Trials including The Salem Witch Trials: a Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege and Six Women of Salem.
Marilynne will present “Samuel Parris: Villain or Victim”. The Society holds a preservation restriction on the Noyes-Parris House, the oldest house in town, where Samuel eventually lived. How did he end up in Wayland after his experiences in Salem? Come and find out!
Annual meeting is Wednesday, May 27, First Parish Church at 7 p.m.
Annual Meeting Agenda
First Parish of Wayland meeting room and on Zoom. RSVP: https://2026wmhsannualmeeting.eventbrite.com/
- Welcome Sherry Anne Bryant
- Presidents Report Sherry Anne Bryant
- Treasurer’s Report Christopher LaFarge
- Trustees of Funds Report Lynn Trimby
- 2026 Annual Meeting Minutes (vote) Mary Farley
- Executive Director’s Comments Scarlett Hoey
- Curator’s Comments Kay Gardner-Westcott
- Slate of Officers, Directors and Trustees (vote) Vicki LaFarge
- Adjourn for Program
Annual Meeting Documents
You’re invited to the Wayland Museum & Historical Society Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 27, 7pm.
You can attend in-person or on Zoom. Free to attend. RSVPs help us plan!
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- Read the Full Report including financials: 2026 Annual report
- 2025-05-14 Wayland Historical Society Annual Meeting Minutes
Nominating Committee Report for 2026-2027 & Board Slate
The Wayland Historical Society, also known as the Wayland Museum & Historical Society, is governed by a Board of Managers made up of Officers and Directors. Endowment funds are invested and managed by a board of independent Trustees of Funds. Society members present at the annual meeting elect the Officers, Directors, and Trustees of Funds. The Board of Managers appoints Committee Chairs.
Each year, those present at the Annual Meeting vote on all open positions, including all Officers and the Trustees of Funds, and Directors. The Nominating Committee is very pleased to present the following nominees, along with their biographical notes, and their proposed positions. The Committee is still identifying a candidate to fill the Treasurer position for 2026-2027.
SLATE OF CANDIDATES
Officers (One-Year Term) 2026-2027
President ~ Sherry Anne Bryant
Vice-President ~ Vicki LaFarge
Secretary ~ Mary Farley
Interim Treasurer ~
Directors (Three-Year Terms)
Neil Gordon (2024-27)
Art Jahnke (2024-27)
Joanne Berry (2026-2029)
Greg Dale (2026-29) one year remaining in term vacated
Elisa Scola (2025-28)
Michele Davidson (2025-2028)
Trustees of Funds
Cliff Lewis
Jon Weintraub
Interim Treasurer
Nominating Committee: Neil Gordon, Art Jahnke, Vicki LaFarge. Scarlett Hoey, ex-officio.
History Belongs to Everyone - Executive Director Report
This was a year of continuing to get out the front door and welcome folks inside.
We tabled at the Lunar New Year for the second year in a row, debuted at WaterFest at the Metropolitan Waterworks Museum with a return planned for this June, joined the Dudley Pond Ice Cream Social, and brought history to the Wayland Festival and the Wayside Inn Apple Fest. We’re continuing to build our partnerships, like with Arts Wayland.
I invite you to come see the summer exhibit, Echoes of Liberty, opening at the Wayland Museum on June 21 featuring contemporary artworks inspired by 10 of our collection objects. Then this summer, invite friends and family to attend our youth programming Little Liberties, a chance for kids to make their own art inspired by history.
Inside, we kept things moving. Exhibits rotated almost monthly, our quilt collection came out of storage for the fall fundraiser and more recently for Fabulous Fashion when a 1700’s crewel embroidered stomacher has made a rare appearance. Board Members and volunteers helped photograph a portion of our costumes and dresses (images online now, thanks to our new online database). We also featured postcards about Wayland thanks to Kathy Alpert. And, it was a fun surprise to see our Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt get a shoutout in the Globe, especially as we continue finding ways to engage a range of ages.
Last August, we also marked the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with a special display honoring Wayland’s sister city relationship with Waveland, Mississippi. It was created in partnership with Waveland’s own Ground Zero Hurricane Museum. Twenty years on, that bond still means something and it is important history to remember how our communities worked together.
Through Wayland Rev250, we co-hosted speakers and events including Anneliese Meck on Chinese Americans in the Civil War, and with Tilly Laskey on Precious and Adored coming up in June. The Tracing Liberty series continues, bringing monthly walks and talks with support from the MA Office of Tourism and Town of Wayland. With Mass Humanities support we gathered to read Frederick Douglass and we’re adding a kids’ event for this year’s edition. We co-hosted Conversations for Change with the library and the town’s HRDEI Committee. Gretchen Schuler led walks and talks, Steve Glovsky shared Knox history, and Jane Sciacca brought her Lydia Maria Child expertise to out-of-state visitors. Thank you to our many volunteers and to Kay Gardner-Westcott for sharing her knowledge with the community.
This year also marked installation of environmental monitors and launched our online collections database, making Wayland’s history findable beyond our walls for the first time. You can visit our collection at: https://hub.catalogit.app/wayland-museum
The Home Team opens this fall as an exhibit tied to sports history in town. The stories are a range of interesting past and present history: Ted Williams on Dudley Pond, Hazel Wightman’s connection to WSTC, Robert Anastas, a WHS hockey coach, who founded SADD. Korey Dropkin, trained at Broomstones, silver medal at the recent Olympics. Lots of stories to share and ways to connect our past to the present.
Stay with us, and share all the exciting things happening with your friends and family. Thank you for being part of the Wayland Museum & Historical Society.
A special thank you to Lynn Trimby, who has served this organization with generosity and expertise over the years, helping move our finances into the 21st century with QuickBooks Online and remaining someone we all rely on when questions arise. We’re grateful and thank her for her years of service to WM&HS.
Curator's Report
Every day adds a new layer to our shared history. The question is not whether these moments matter, but who will preserve them, interpret them, and ensure they are understood. Each moment becomes part of a larger story, but only if someone conserves it. Without context, an artifact is silent. Without interpretation, an event fades. When collections grow without their stories attached, it becomes the curator’s task to rediscover those connections. Curators ensure that the essential questions, who, what, where, why, and how are what give meaning to the objects and the memories we inherit.
The word curator comes from the Latin curare, meaning “to care.” Curators care for objects, but also for voices, even those historically underrepresented. They research, interpret, and give form to stories with the acknowledgement that not all history is pleasant, yet all of it deserves to be told honestly and respectfully. Each investigation reveals new layers of the town’s remarkable past.
Research is the foundation of this work. It allows us to uncover the cultural, political, literary, and environmental history, revealing a town far richer and more complex than any single artifact could show. When collections grow without their stories attached, it becomes the curator’s task to rediscover those connections. This includes researching the provenance, photographing artifacts, and establishing each object’s significance. We also engage the public, guide volunteers, and make thoughtful decisions about acquisitions and deaccessions. Most importantly, we ensure that Wayland’s story is shared.
As a part‑time curator, I work within limited hours but with unlimited commitment. The hiring Board prioritized continuing the extraordinary inventory efforts begun by Jo Gosselt and her volunteers by researching origins, photographing artifacts, and establishing their records in a format the public can explore. Much of this work is done pro bono and requires patience, focus, and collaboration. Although we are collecting fewer items while this documentation continues, new arrivals still require careful cataloging and interpretation.
I am grateful for the dedicated volunteers who help move the museum’s goals forward. Their time, energy, and enthusiasm strengthen our ability to care for the collection and sustain the work that keeps the museum thriving. Thank you to: Dottie Kelsy, Lois Toombs, Anne Narwari, Sandy Coy, and Sherry Anne Bryant.
This year, I welcomed visitors from numerous states, hosted the Daughters of the American Revolution, joined the Rev250th Committee, and coordinated a visit from Lydia Maria Child scholars from Minnesota. My ongoing research – often the quiet backbone of our work – continues to uncover stories that inspire financial donations and deepen our understanding of Wayland’s past.
I also had several opportunities to engage directly with the public outside the museum. I enjoyed participating in the Apple Fest at the Wayside Inn with Elisa Scola and Wayland’s own Festival with the WM&HS Board, where we invited people to touch, try, and truly experience history. I continued working with various Town departments to ensure that new community signage reflects accurate and honest historical information. I also investigated family histories and documented Wayland’s environmental history for preservationists.
Throughout the year, I assisted with multiple displays, including the Wayland Center miniature railroad, library exhibits, and rotating in‑house presentations ranging from postcard collections to the annual meeting. I created several interactive games for visitors, conducted research that added depth to the quilt show and collaborated with Children’s Librarian Pam McCuen to create a youth‑designed paper quilt.
Although writing is not my strongest skill, I contributed articles to both the WM&HS newsletter and the Wayland Post. I also strive to respond promptly to all inquiries.
This year’s new accessions include artwork and hockey photographs and stories from the Carole Yeager family, important documents relating to Wayland’s history, as well as artifacts from the beloved Nisbet’s Variety Store in Cochituate, once owned by Olive and Hiram Nisbet.
What motivates me is learning something new every day. To keep growing, I attended programs, classes, and lectures, and visited other museums to exchange ideas and discover new ways to enhance our own storytelling and presentations.
Collections Committee Report
Our concentration on the collections this year centered on the quilts and other quilted items that were photographed by the Massachusetts Quilt Museum, and our yearlong research project for documenting the family history of the quilters, donors, their parents, and their connections in Wayland. Photographs were added when they were found.
Having previously de-accessioned items in the framed pictures and certificates collection, we found a home for the large stash of empty frames stored in Willy’s Shed. A person connected with the Sudbury Historical Society hopes to repurpose them.
The wedding dresses recently exhibited from our collection have been extensively photographed—for tears, stains, open seams, unusual construction details, etc.—then carefully repacked in archival boxes with archival tissue to cushion folds, sleeves, and fancy necklines.
Details have been noted in Catalogit.app, https://hub.catalogit.app/wayland-museum,
our replacement for PastPerfect recording of artifacts in the museum.
Membership Committee Report
As per the change voted in the May 2025 Annual meeting, our membership year runs from October 1- September 30. The membership committee sent a series of notices to members inviting them to renew their membership for 2025-2026 using PayPal, Venmo, credit card, or check. Membership categories were as follows:
·Senior/Student – $25
·Individual – $40
·Family – $60
·Sponsor – $100
·Patron – $250
·Sustainer – $500.
The membership appeal also advised recipients of the opportunity to contribute to one or more of the four endowment funds:
·Grout-Heard House Maintenance Endowment Fund
·Joanne Davis Education Endowment Fund
·Conservation Endowment Fund
·Unrestricted Endowment Fund
Solicitations were also sent to Life Members to donate to one of the funds listed above or to the General Operating Fund.
At the end of the fiscal year, April 30, 2026, the Society had 120 Annual memberships and 49 Life memberships. Thirteen life members made additional contributions to one of the funds. Lead gifts of $250 or more were given by 18 persons or families.
The Board of Managers would like to thank all who continue to support the Wayland Museum & Historical Society through membership, donations, and sponsorships .
You are the life of our organization.
Minutemen Photo Credit
Photo by Greg Dale, WM&HS Board Member