We hosted our first Archiving Day at the manor on July 22 to start building a digital catalog of the estate’s past.

M-BELT’s president, four volunteers, and an enthusiastic child gathered in the manor’s archiving room to explore and catalog some boxes. Our findings ranged from rare plant species on the grounds to grant applications to forgotten 19th-century photos of the Brooks family and original estate.

It’s a fun, interesting, and useful way to immerse yourself in local history. If you’d like to help with the next one (not yet scheduled), please sign up here. The sessions are open to anyone interested, regardless of preexisting archiving, Estate, and/or Land Trust knowledge or experience.

Laptops are helpful. Curiosity is essential.