Renew your 2026 Trust Membership!
Sankaty Head Lighthouse Preservation & Maintenance Fund
Scan the code to renew your membership. Or visit SconsetTrust.org
Your additional gift will help safeguard Sankaty Head Lighthouse, preserving this cherished ’Sconset landmark for generations to come.
Village Keepers Maintenance Fund Your additional support helps care for the Trust’s historic homes and properties (’Sconset Market, Aldrich House, One New Street) that contribute to the unique character of our village and provide employee housing for our village businesses.
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Thanks to our Outgoing Board Member
Siobhan O’Mahony Moore Siobhan provided valuable insights and leadership during her six year tenure on the Board, serving as Board Secretary, Village Keepers LLC Treasurer, 40th Anniversary Strategic Plan team member, and design team lead for Field of Dreams. Siobhan was also an active participant on the Land Acquisition Committee.
2026–2027 Board of Directors William B. Holding, Jr. CHAIR & PRESIDENT
Matthew Fremont-Smith VICE CHAIR
Barbara Bispham Hale SECRETARY
Alexander M. Seaver TREASURER
New Board Member
William E. Hannum, III
Elizabeth Green Grubbs
CLERK
Betsy and her husband Ray have been summer ’Sconset residents for almost fifty years. With their children Peyton and Harrison and their families, they consider ’Sconset a treasured touchstone in their lives. Whether counting bunnies or eating ice cream cones, there is no place like ’Sconset and the island. Betsy is honored to be again joining the Board of the Trust after previously serving as the Executive Director and managing three capital campaigns. When not on island, she and Ray are on the Mobjack Bay in Virginia with two bald eagles, a blue heron and a beagle.
W. Timothy Cashman, III
Lisa R. Bermel Eric Dannheim Lynn F. Filipski Robert Franklin Bryan Frist Elizabeth Green Grubbs Drew J. Guff Amanda Jacobson Holly Johnson Sally S. Michler Greg Nichols Robin Ried Nell P. Wilson EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Julie Ruddick Meade DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONS
Robin Winter LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER
Rob Benchley
One New Street P. O. Box 821 Siasconset MA 02564 508 257 4100 info@SconsetTrust.org SconsetTrust.org
Photo: D. Hulme
PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER of ’Sconset remains a core part of the Trust’s mission. This year, the Preservation Committee has expanded its work on House Profiles and Preservation Restrictions, two complementary programs designed to document the village’s architectural history and help protect important properties for future generations. Our House Profile initiative continues to grow, with 28 profiles now completed. The recently completed profile of the ’Sconset Market has been added to the Trust’s collection, and work has begun on One New Street and The Maples at 14 Broadway. Several other homeowners have expressed interest in having their houses documented. These profiles provide a permanent record of the history and evolution of some of the village’s most distinctive buildings and can be viewed on the Trust’s website. If you are interested in a House Profile for your home, please reach out to us. Preservation Restrictions provide permanent legal protection for specified historic and architectural elements of a property— particularly important where existing HDC or zoning protections may not be sufficient. In addition to the three restrictions the Trust has held for many years, we are delighted to report that we recently recorded a Preservation Restriction on Auld Lang Syne, the oldest house in ’Sconset and, some believe, on the island.
The Massachusetts Historical Commission has also conditionally approved a restriction for the Trust’s Aldrich House, and we are working with homeowners for properties on McKinley Avenue and West Sankaty Road. We remain in conversation with several other homeowners who have expressed interest in placing preservation restrictions on their properties. The Committee has been working to strengthen the connection between these two programs. Earlier this year, we contacted homeowners whose properties had previously been documented through House Profiles to introduce the Preservation Restriction program. That outreach has already generated new interest. Other preservation efforts are moving forward as well. In a joint initiative with the ’Sconset Civic Association, under committee member Jamie Holt’s leadership, historic post office boxes have been refurbished and returned to service. Our preservation education work also continues; the presentation made at the July meeting is available under resources on the Trust’s Preservation Restoration page. We continue to identify historically sensitive renovations worthy of the Trust’s periodic Preservation Awards. Our objective remains straightforward: to document what makes ’Sconset distinctive, educate homeowners about its architectural heritage, and provide practical tools to help preserve that character for the future.
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Village
Conservation
Preservation
Lighthouse
Community
Photos: Kris Kinsley Hancock
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Photos: Kris Kinsley Hancock
We are incredibly grateful to our Sponsors for their enthusiasm and generous support of the ’Sconset Trust and our mission. [8]
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