Beverly, Haverhill To Host 2026 Historic New England Summit

BEVERLY, MA — Historic New England will host its fifth annual Historic New England Summit, a three-day event set for this Thursday through Saturday, at The Cabot in Beverly and the Historic New England Center in Haverhill.

The summit will bring together national and regional leaders in preservation, architecture, urban planning, law and policy, museums, libraries and archives, philanthropy, education, and public art.

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The 2026 summit will examine questions about the public record, the federal preservation landscape, the role of cultural institutions in public life, preservation and contemporary design, and the role of art and culture in civic engagement.

"The Summit is an opportunity to look beyond the traditional perceptions of preservation and learn from people who are trying new things in their fields," said Vin Cipolla, President and CEO of Historic New England. "The challenges facing our communities do not fit neatly into disciplinary categories. By bringing together people with different expertise, experiences, and perspectives, we can have a more productive conversation about how history and preservation can help us build more livable, resilient, and connected communities."

The summit opens Thursday, with a keynote conversation featuring Jorge Zamanillo, Founding Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino, and Shanita Brackett, Acting Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. Historic New England said the conversation will focus on how major cultural institutions build and sustain relationships with the communities they serve.

Thursday's program also includes "A Fracturing Reality," on libraries, archives, and records management, and "A Bauhaus Bathroom," a session on Historic New England's competition to design a new public restroom at Walter Gropius's Gropius House. Other highlights include a discussion of the federal preservation landscape, Historic New England's annual awards, and "Paddling Through the Past: Boston's Swan Boats Celebrate 150 Years," featuring fourth-generation owner Lyn Paget.

On Friday, the program turns to preservation, place, and civic life, including a session on affordability, displacement, climate risk, and social fragmentation. Friday will also spotlight the Historic New England Center, which Historic New England said opened in June 2026 in a former shoe manufacturing complex in downtown Haverhill as the first publicly accessible space in its emerging collections and cultural campus.

"The Summit is intentionally forward-looking,"" said Carissa Demore, Vice President and Chief Policy Director at Historic New England. "We're interested in people who are not just continuing established models, but are asking what comes next — whether that means rethinking how a museum engages its community, how a city understands its historic resources, how public art can create meaningful participation, or how preservation can respond to the realities communities face today."

The summit concludes Saturday, with hands-on programming in Haverhill, including an artist workshop, a visit to the Museum of Printing, a community scavenger hunt, and a behind-the-scenes look at collections and conservation work.

Livestream access will be available for people who cannot attend in person, and additional program details and registration are available here.