Lee Announces Plans for 250th Anniversary Celebration
LEE, Mass. — The town of Lee was founded on Oct. 21, 1777. Exactly one year before its 250th anniversary, officials announced the launch of events to honor its history and the people and organizations that make it special.
"Lee250 is a chance to celebrate our history, support the businesses that serve our community today, and invest in Lee's future. We encourage businesses and residents alike to get involved because the more we participate the more we can accomplish together," said Alex Heddinger, Lee Chamber of Commerce executive director.
The declaration on Wednesday featured remarks from the 250th Anniversary Committee that was established a couple months ago, Town Administrator Christopher Brittain said.
The committee is currently made up of more than 25 people ranging from business owners, local officials, youth and nonprofit representatives to community members at large.
Its four subcommittees will be organizing events throughout the year, including concerts, historical photo displays and exhibitions, a citizens' parade, all culminating in a block party.
"We hope this will be the largest celebration in the history of the town of Lee, and we want the entire community to be a part of it," Town Planner Brooke Healy, who chairs the birthday communication souvenirs subcommittee.
The block party is planned for Oct. 21, 2027, exactly 250 years after the town's establishment and will feature live music, food trucks, a "spectacular drone show" and a communitywide celebration in downtown Lee, described by Healy as the "heart" of the town.
"Our goal is to bring together residents, businesses, families, and visitors for an evening of fun, excitement, and community spirit," she said.
"This is more than just a birthday party; it's an opportunity to celebrate 250 years of Lee's history, to recognize the people and businesses that make our town so special, and to create memories that will last for years to come."
The impact of the celebrations will have a multifaceted impact. It will encourage people to visit the town, shop at its businesses, dine in the restaurants, and stay in its hotels, and discover reasons to return, Heddinger said.
It also gives the town a chance to share its story and strengthen the town's identity as "the gateway to the Berkshires," she said.
"The relationships we build and the visitors we attract can benefit our economy well beyond 2027."
As part of the yearlong celebration, the town also plans to showcase its history, including "then and now" photo displays on view from May through November. There will be about 27 historical photos placed throughout town, said Dorothy French, historical exhibits and permanent memorials subcommittee chair.
"We have a series of photographs of Lee then, and we're going to be putting them around where the photograph was taken," she said.
Additionally, the committee is working on creating a 400-page book about Lee's history exploring its history from the 18th century to the present, including the challenges the town has faced and the ongoing debate surrounding the legacy of its namesake, General Charles Lee, said Bob Jones, Select Board and Lee250 Committee chair.
"A lot of people don't know Lee has a very significant history, not just in Berkshire's, but nationally. Lee in the mid 19th century was the largest paper producing town in the United States. Also, the marble that came out of these quarries is in monuments in Washington," he said.
"We have contributed significantly to the history of the United States, and we hope to encapsulate it all in this book."
While the celebration will honor Lee's past, organizers are also looking toward its future, making it a natural fit to involve the town's youth in planning the events.
Lee High School senior David Carlino is one of the youth helping plan the celebration and serving as the co-chair of the cultural events subcommittee.
Carlino said the opportunity has taught him how local government operates, from conducting organized meetings while giving him a chance to help plan a celebration that residents will remember for years to come.
"Lee looked different when my grandparents were my age, and Lee has just evolved over the years," he said.
"So, the younger generation might see Lee differently than my parents or their parents see it. I think it's important to get that perspective in on the anniversary."
In addition to bringing different generations together to celebrate the town's history, organizers are exploring new ways to showcase Lee and its attractions, including the recently acquired Lee Trolley.
The Lee Trolley was acquired from Putnam, N.Y., and had its lettering added just "under the wire" for the press conference, Heddinger said.
"We're planning to use it as a shuttle at events. We're planning to have historical tours. We're planning to use it for special activities and events in town," she said.
The town plans to explore opportunities made possible by the trolley's arrival, with the long-term hope of eventually offering historical tours, Heddinger said.
"Thinking crazy outside of the box, I wonder if it's something that maybe we would partner with Stockbridge and Lenox towns, and we could have a shuttle that takes people between the three the Tri-Town area," she said.
"Again, like, that to me is a bigger vision for what it could be. We're going to start a little small, see how it works, [and expand from there.]"
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