Thu, Jan 9 at 2:32 PMFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 9, 2023
Contact: Steve Smirti, Communications Director (ssmirti@medford-ma.gov), 781-393-2529
Statement from Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn Regarding the Excavation Work at the City Hall Municipal Lot
(MEDFORD)—Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn issued the following statement regarding construction work at the City Hall Municipal Lot in preparation for the Medford Square redevelopment project.
“As many residents are aware, from 1816 to 1950 there was a cemetery adjacent to Medford City Hall at the location of the current commuter lot along I-93. This cemetery was relocated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to Oak Grove Cemetery, as part of the construction for I-93. Members of the Medford Historic Commission were aware that the processes and procedures for relocating cemeteries during that period of time did not meet the same standards as such projects do today. As such, they advised the city that as part of the redevelopment of the Medford Square Parcels, an investigation should be undertaken to determine whether any artifacts of the cemetery remain at the site.
To this end, an extensive search of the documentation was completed to determine the process undertaken in 1950 for the relocation. Based on that search, it was determined that as part of the city’s due diligence, a physical examination should be made of the area by an appropriate archeological team. This physical examination was undertaken earlier this week, and cultural artifacts were determined to still be present on the site.
The City will be working with the state and the Massachusetts Historical Commission to properly and meaningfully relocate the artifacts accordingly.”
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Steve Smirti
Director of Communications | Office of Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn
Medford City Hall
85 George P Hassett Dr, Medford, MA 02155
781-393-2529 (office)
781-885-4296 (mobile)
Please note: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts considers most electronic communications to and from public employees to be public records and disclosable under the Massachusetts Public Records Law and its regulations. *Please consider the environment before printing this email.*
Please note: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts considers most electronic communications to and from public employees to be public records and disclosable under the Massachusetts Public Records Law and its regulations. *Please consider the environment before printing this email.*
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