On May 18th, Lowell Heritage Partnership and Lowell National Historical Park hosted a reception to honor the annual Community Excellence Awards in Historic Preservation and Cultural Heritage as a kick off of Historic Preservation Week and Doors Open Lowell. This year’s recipients were: UMass Lowell Professor Ingrid Hess for her children’s book “Mr. Magnificent’s Magical Merrimack Adventure”for Excellence in…
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Points of Light
Imagine watching hundreds of personalized floating lanterns released into the Western Canal, as you enjoy Lowell’s diverse music, traditions, and food. This is the Points of Light, a spring celebration of unity and renewal which took place the evening of April 22, 2017. In Japan, participants float paper lanterns in memorial during Tōrō nagashi. In…
LHP Statement on Lowell High School
The Board of Directors of the Lowell Heritage Partnership (LHP) voted unanimously (two abstentions) on March 23, 2017, to renew and keep Lowell High School downtown, citing it as “an opportunity to ensure that our heritage is preserved as a defining part of the learning experience of Lowell youth.” The LHP believes the community’s…
The Next Initiative for Lowell: Making Our Canals and Rivers Come Alive
Lowell has launched a community planning effort intended to increase the visibility of the Lowell canal system and spark greater public activity along the canals. The innovative and historic waterways that made Lowell known as “The Venice of America” in the 19th century give the city a unique character that sets Lowell apart in its…
Neighborhood Historic Districts
By Jennifer Myers for the LHP 15 Year Report, The Power of Preservation By 2005, the city had managed to preserve and redevelop a good deal of the historic mills and other structures in the downtown, but historic homes in the neighborhoods beyond the downtown remained without protection. That was made very clear when a wrecking ball tore…
Appleton Mills and the Birth of LHP
By Jennifer Myers for the LHP 15 Year Report, The Power of Preservation It started in early 2000. One of the city’s most important mill complexes, the Appleton Mills, vacant and neglected for years, was headed for a date with a wrecking ball. Joan Fabrics, then operating in the building that is now the Loft 27 residences, was…
The Power of Preservation
The Mill City. Lowell’s nickname only tells part of the story. Yes, the physical structures—the majestic, imposing brick giants built by Appleton, Boott, Jackson and crew—and preserving them—are a key piece of the city’s story, but not all of it. There is what lured investors to build America’s first planned industrial city—the 36-foot drop of…
LHP Turns 15!
The LHP turns 15 in 2015! Click here for complete coverage of the LHP’s 15 year celebration, including the comprehensive report, The Power of Preservation. Four in Lowell Honored for Historic Preservation Lowell Sun, May 20th, 2015 Photos from the 2015 Community Excellence Awards on LHP’s Facebook Page, including the debut of the 15 Year Report
Room 50 Archives
Heritage-Related Stories from Room 50 Fans of Lowell history should definitely check out Jennifer Myers’s excellent Room 50 Blog. Active during the term of former mayor, Patrick O. Murphy, the Room 50 blog featured stories on significant moments from Lowell’s unique, alive, and inspiring history. Here is a small sample of what you’ll find. Celebrate…
Lowell: The Entrepreneurial City
Lowell: The Entrepreneurial City On September 25th, 2013 the Lowell Heritage Partnership celebrated Lowell’s uniquely innovative past, present, and future with an expert panel discussion, Lowell: The Entrepreneurial City. Speakers included Richard Howe, Theresa Park, David Parker, and Steve Tello.