PUBLIC NOTICE
Regarding the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Section 106 Review of A Garden for Liberty: Celebrating Taunton’s Revolutionary Spirit.
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will award the Old Colony Historical Society (Society), in Taunton, Massachusetts a Challenge grant (ZZ-309428-25) for development of a landscaped garden and expanded parking area to honor Robert Treat Paine, a Taunton resident and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
NEH is an independent grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. This public notice is issued as part of NEH’s responsibilities under 36 C.F.R. Part 800, the regulations which implement Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended, 54 U.S.C. 306108. NEH, a funding agency, is required by regulation to identify and assess the effects of any proposed actions on historic properties. If any proposed action will have an adverse effect on historic resources, NEH works with the appropriate parties to seek ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any adverse effects. Additionally, the Section 106 regulations require NEH to consider the views of the public on preservation issues when making final decisions that affect historic properties.
The project involves the removal of approximately 3,500 square feet of existing asphalt from the front of the Old Colon y History Museum and the creation of a new garden and outdoor interpretive space. Work will involve shallow grading (6-12 inches), soil preparation, installation of permeable surfaces, and the planting of native perennials, shrubs, and small trees to reflect the historical and ecological context of the region, and ultimately the installation of interpretive signage commemorating Taunton native and Declaration of Independence signer Robert Treat Paine.
The project site totals less than an acre and includes one structure: the Old Colony History Museum building, constructed in 1852 as the Bristol Academy which has been home to the Old Colony Historical Society’s Museum and Library since 1926. It is a two-story, approximately 6,000 square foot Italianate brick building and is listed as a contributing property to the Church Green listing which was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Ancillary facilities include a small rear paved area. No other structures are located on the site.
On August 7, 2025, Edward Bell, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer for the Massachusetts Historical Commission, provided the opinion that the proposed work will have No Adverse Effect upon historic properties. After reviewing Section 106 documentation NEH issues a final determination of No Adverse Effect.
As required by Section 106, NEH is providing the public with information about this project, as well as an opportunity to comment on any knowledge of, or concerns with, historic properties in the proposed project area, and issues relating to the project’s potential effects on historic properties. Comments may be submitted to the NEH by e-mail to FPO@neh.gov. The deadline for submitting comments is August 22, 2025.
The history of the original Old Colony is one that reaches from Rehoboth to Provincetown, and from Scituate to Dartmouth. It’s as distant as 1639 and as relevant as a moment ago. It is a history that plays like a page-turner, replete with epic battles, brash entrepreneurs, new-for-the-time technologies – and the stuff of everyday life. Things that happened in the Old Colony made the region what it is today and frequently influenced events worldwide.
At the Old Colony History Museum, we’re proud to be the keeper of this history. It is our ongoing mission to be able to bring it to life for the region’s families and children as well as historians of every age. Open year-round, we curate exhibits and offer guided tours, lectures, workshops, field trips and special presentations for school groups. We invite you to join us, to personally experience our collective past in a way unique to our region.
