WESTFORD TOWN HALL Historic Records Located in the Town Hall:
1. Clerk's Office and Vault
Kinds of Records: Births, deaths and marriages; treasury accounts, tax lists, street railway locations, town reports, annual reports; bound selectmen's meetings; financial records; early militia reports; jurors lists; licenses; pole locations; removal and cremation permits; some photographs |
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Record Keeper: Town Clerk
Usefulness and Importance: Impressive and important collection of early Town records. |
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Dates: 1725--present Estimated Cu. Ft: 87 Condition: Many need conservation work (torn pages); some older volumes need to be rebound because bindings are in poor condition. The vault is not fireproof or climate controlled. |
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Recommendations: Some vital records have been microfilmed and are available at the Fletcher Library. Continuing this would reduce wear and tear on of the originals and provide greater access to these records since the library is opened many evenings and on weekends. (Certified copies would still be obtained at the Clerk's office.) The vault is not fireproof; since the building is wood frame, a fire could destroy many irreplaceable documents.
2. Town Hall Basement--Vault
Kinds of records: School Dept. Records, 1809-; Highway Records, 1820-; journals, 1850-; Accounting Journals, 1920-1950s; Voting Registration Cards; Annual Reports; Selectmen's Receipts, 1890s-1950s. Note: The highway records have been entered onto an Excel database and both the Clerk's Office and Highway Department have copies. Record Keeper: Town Clerk
Usefulness and Importance: These are extremely important early Town records |
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Dates: @1800--1996 Estimated Cu. Ft: 112 Condition: The vault is very damp. It has a dirt floor. While it might have originally been constructed to provide fire protection, it is currently in poor condition. Portions of the ceiling have fallen because of dampness, and the metal containers holding many of the oldest materials are rusting. Hinges on journals are also rusting. An oil tank in the room outside the vault gives off a strong odor of oil. |
