Letter to the editor: gratitude for Lincoln’s Pierce House

To the editor:

Sometimes, it is important to send a note of gratitude. Here is mine for today.

Many of us enjoy the generosity of those around us and those who came before. From time to time, that generosity should be publicly acknowledged. The Fourth of July approaches, we must thank all who have made this beloved Lincoln event possible. One aspect of our celebrations, our after-parade luncheon put on by the Boy Scouts, should remind of  the essential role its host, the Pierce House, plays in the life of our community.

In 1910, John H. Pierce, like several of his wealthy contemporaries, made a substantial gift to the town. He willed both his house on Weston Road and the surrounding 30 acres. Little could he have imagined  how well that gift would serve the town — how vibrant it would become and how essential to so much of our community life!

Since it was opened for public use decades ago,  it has welcomed us all to celebrate weddings, graduations, birthdays, and retirements, as well as to mourn passings. It also hosts many town events such as our First Day open house, where up to 500 of us have come together to welcome in the New Year in an all afternoon, all-ages event of food and music and conversation. The house also welcomes events for town organizations such as the Garden Club and others.

We have not only John Pierce and his family to thank for all this, but also the volunteer Pierce House Committees and professional house managers over the years. Many traditions of hospitality were introduced by Richard Silver and his wife Susan. And recently, Nancy Beach has continued and expanded on that legacy.

The house has thrived under their professional leadership, and the town has been the beneficiary.

It is especially remarkable  how well Pierce House has served the town, given it has done so on a shoestring budget.

While offerings to the community at low or no cost and community use has grown, the portion of the budget, financed by town funds, has not. And this, again, is due to the work of the Pierce House Committee and former manager Silver and current manager Beach. They have skillfully balanced the use of the house for non-resident events such as weddings, in such a way that those revenues offset much of the expense of running the house for our use. We are all beneficiaries of their efforts.

So, as we sit under the tent and enjoy our lunch this Fourth of July and look out over the beautiful grounds and park, think of John Pierce and all members of Pierce House Committee, past and present. And, we should also remember the work of house managers Richard Silver and Nancy Beach. If it were not for all of them, we would not have this gem, this wonderful asset serving us all in the heart of Lincoln. They all deserve a note of gratitude.

Sincerely,

Sara Mattes
71 Conant Rd., Lincoln

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Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.