Historical Society Receives Inheritance for Property Maintenance

The Monroe Historical Society is making the most of one member's legacy to establish a nest egg for the future and breathe new life into some of its historic properties.

The society recently received nearly $66,000 thanks to a posthumous gift from one of the organization's original members.

Former resident Dorothy Swanson, who lived on Barn Hill Road, passed away at the age of 95 in 2002 and served as the historical society's parliamentarian and worked tirelessly for the organization for more than 40 years.

Upon her passing, Swanson left the historical society $65,963 in her will for restoration of the society's historic structures throughout town.

Nancy Zorena, historical society president, said the will spent years in probate but, now that it's a done deal, the society is not wasting any time putting the gift to good use.   

Zorena said the society's finance committee purchased a $50,000 certificate of deposit at Hudson Savings Bank in order to collect interest.

The society is also using approximately $16,000 from the inheritance for some fresh paint and repairs to the Eliot Beardsley Homestead on Great Ring Road and the East Village Meetinghouse on Barn Hill Road.

Zorena said while some historical societies have millions of dollars in their coffers, in past years the Monroe organization has been as much as $1,000 in debt to maintain its properties.

"This is really going to help us," she said. "We can invest it and use the interest and always have something to repair our buildings."

 Getting right to work, the society recently power washed and stained the exterior of the Beardsley Homestead, giving it a "gorgeous amber color," and replaced window sills and painted the interior.

Zorena said she hopes to install storm windows treated with UV filters to protect the exhibits on display inside the house from damaging sunlight.

Meanwhile, The East Village Meetinghouse is getting a fresh coat of paint on its exterior and is in the process of having storm windows installed as well.

Ed Coffey, the executor of Swanson's will and a longtime friend, said the two met when he sold his first house in town while she was a real estate agent for Curtis and Crandon.

Swanson was also a graduate of Pembroke College, a 20 year veteran of the United States Navy, fighting as a member of the WAVES in World War II, and had a tremendous passion for history and animals.

Coffey spoke highly of Swanson's generosity, noting that Monroe Congregational Church and Stratford Congregational Church also received a part of Swanson's estate as well as many non-profit charities and organizations.

"She was a wonderful friend, a generous person and very proud of Monroe," he said of Swanson.

Zorena said the gift is exclusively for restorations and maintenance to the society's properties, requiring the organization to continue with fundraisers and accept donations for future endeavors.

However, Zorena is grateful for the gift and what it means for its existing properties.

"In the past we made do with very little," she said, "Now we can breathe a little easier."