Marshfield Select Board Establishes Committees for Historic Preservation and Cemetery Restoration
Board approves formation of local historic district study committee and cemetery commission while addressing Revolutionary War monument planning and routine municipal business.
MARSHFIELD - July 10 and 14 - The Marshfield Select Board approved the formation of two new committees focused on historic preservation during its July 14 meeting, advancing efforts to protect the town's historical character and maintain its historic cemeteries.
The board voted to establish a local historic district study committee under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40C, which will investigate and report on the historic significance of buildings and structures for potential inclusion in local historic districts. The committee will consist of three to seven members and must submit a final report with recommendations after a public hearing.
"Every month we're getting more and more demolition requests from the building department on houses that are over 75 years old that people want to take down, and we don't really have a lot of tools to control what goes up in their place," said Carolyn Shanley, representing the Historical Commission.
The historic district study represents a complex process that would ultimately require town meeting approval if any districts are recommended. The committee will examine areas throughout Marshfield, potentially including Brant Rock, Old Rexhame, Green Harbor, and Marshfield Hills Village.
"We have a demolition delay bylaw on the books, but it expires after a year. People can wait us out for a year. There's really not a lot of teeth in it," Shanley explained.
The board also approved formation of a five-member Cemetery Commission plus a liaison from the Department of Public Works to coordinate historical restoration of the town's six cemeteries: Two Mile, Couch, Centre, Cedar Grove, Chapel, and Old Winslow Burial Ground.
"These cemeteries have stones dating back to the 17th century, and they contain remains of men and women who came here or were born here and worked to forge this country," said the Historical Commission representative.
The Cemetery Commission will focus on maintaining and restoring headstones and historical aspects of the cemeteries, while the DPW continues handling grounds maintenance and burial services. The Community Preservation Committee has provided approximately $1.2 million for cemetery restoration projects to date.
Mark McDonnell, who served on a previous Cemetery Commission, emphasized the need for collaboration with the DPW. "We all got to remember, cemeteries fall under the DPW," he said. "We need to work very, very hard and closely with the DPW."
The board received an update on the Revolutionary War Honor Roll Committee's monument project, scheduled for dedication April 19, 2026. The 14-foot monument will feature 203 names of Revolutionary War veterans and will be located on the town green.
Thomas Whalen, committee chair, outlined plans for a two-hour dedication ceremony beginning at 1 p.m. The event will include an entrance parade, presentation of colors, and speeches from local historians and the Executive Director of the Rev. 250 Committee in Boston.
"People don't realize on April 19th, there were two alarms that took place in Massachusetts. One in Concord and Lexington, but there was another one right in Marshfield," Whalen said. "Only two towns were occupied by the British. Boston and Marshfield."
The committee requested town support for seating, restroom access, and sound equipment. Select Board Chair Eric Kelley agreed to attend the committee's next meeting along with police and fire chiefs to coordinate logistics.
In other business, the board approved a professional service agreement with the Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management for Town Administrator recruitment services. The Collins Center will assist with developing candidate profiles, advertising positions, and screening applicants.
The board also voted to accept a deed granting the town two parcels totaling 10.5 acres on Wright's Way for conservation purposes. The land will be held under the care and custody of the Conservation Commission and contributes toward the town's General Land Area Minimum requirements.
Additionally, the board established a seven-member playground committee including the building commissioner. The committee will focus on maintaining existing playgrounds and exploring potential expansion areas, working closely with the DPW.
Other actions included:
• Approving a block party request for Ridge Road residents on Aug. 23
• Waiving building permit fees for work at the Harbormaster Building and Historic Winslow House
• Approving various licenses for the annual Marshfield Fair, scheduled for Aug. 15-24
• Granting permission for International Overdose Awareness Day activities, including flag placement on the town green and a vigil at Harbor Park
• Opening the special town meeting warrant, with the meeting scheduled for Oct. 20
Interim Town Administrator Peter Morin reported that the recent Levitate Festival proceeded without incident, with no arrests and only minor medical issues requiring one hospital transport. The town also completed a bond rating call with Standard & Poor's for a $3 million issue.
The meeting moved to a joint meeting with the Zoning Board of Appeals. Residents interested in serving on the newly formed committees can submit applications to the select board office either online or in person.
Joint Meeting - July 14 - New monitoring wells near Marshfield's public water supply have detected PFAS, raising concerns about potential contamination of the town's drinking water.
Environmental Partners (APEX), a consulting firm, recently installed seven groundwater monitoring wells around the Ferry Street and Church Street wells, which supply water to Marshfield residents.
AnnMarie Turbeville from Environmental Partners presented the findings to town officials on July 20, 2025. Some of the new monitoring wells showed PFAS levels above the proposed EPA standard of 4 parts per trillion.
"We're finding PFAS in the groundwater already," Turbeville said. "We need to think proactively about the Ferry Street and Church Street wells, and water quality in terms of emerging contaminants."
The highest PFAS levels were found in wells near the Bridal Crossing development and along the Bridal Path, with concentrations between 5.9 and 8.5 parts per trillion.
Despite these findings, Marshfield's active public water supply wells currently show PFAS levels below 1 part per trillion, according to DPW official Ken Ryan.
Mark Kaufman, another consultant with Environmental Partners, stressed the conservative nature of their modeling approach. "We're using very conservative assumptions, and the concentrations you see here might not appear at the wellhead," he explained.
The study also looked at potential PFAS sources from existing residential areas, including the Silver Pines and Marsh Hawk Way developments. Modeling suggested these areas could contribute similar PFAS levels to groundwater as the proposed Bridle Crossing development.
Town officials appreciated the new data and called for ongoing monitoring. Brian Murphy, chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals, said, "We've made significant progress with the seven new wells. It's great to see this happening, and hopefully we can continue testing in the future."
Officials discussed the possibility of installing additional "sentinel wells" to provide early warning of any changes in groundwater quality.
July 10 - Beach management in Marshfield is scrambling to fill lifeguard positions after a recent setback. At a July 10, 2025 meeting, officials revealed that eight out of 13 newly hired lifeguards had backed out, leaving the beach short-staffed.
"For various reasons, eight of them didn't work out. Some waited until the last minute to let us know," Police Lieutenant William Sullivan explained during the meeting.
Sullivan added, "We're running an operation with about 50 people, and there are many moving parts."
One lifeguard, hired in April, left for what they called a "dream job as an HVAC person."
Despite the late-season challenge, there's a silver lining. "Luckily, we have three promising candidates who are interested and ready to start," Sullivan said.
The board approved hiring all three as new lifeguards.
Steve Darcy, vice chair of the board, commented, "This happens every year. It's college kids home for summer break. They often have multiple job prospects, and sometimes they get an offer they weren't expecting."
Beach management assured the board that bringing on the new hires won't increase costs, as the beach has been operating with a smaller staff than usual.
Full meetings available via MCM. July 14 Select Board, July 14 joint meeting, July 10 virtual meeting.