Lowell Walks begins this Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 10 am at Lowell National Park Visitor Center at 246 Market Street with “Preservation Success Stories” led by Fred Faust. The walk is free, requires no advance registration, and lasts about 90 minutes.

Fred has written a description of what he has planned for the walk. Here it is:

[From Fred Faust] I am pleased to be leading the first of this summer’s Lowell Walks on Saturday, June 11.  Many thanks to our host, Dick Howe, for this program and his initiative in general.  The title of the walk is “Preservation Successes.”  (We may touch on several not to successful efforts as well and perhaps a Lowell political anecdote or two).

Next Saturday morning’s walk is a triple header that you won’t want to miss.

FIRST, we will first meet at the National Park Visitor’s Center on Market Street, starting off promptly at 10 AM.  The walk will feature stories about the properties between Market Mills and the Boott Mill – which were part of the seminal “Brown Brook” Congressional Study in 1974 that identified the rationale for the Park and critical properties for preservation.   We will have access to several interesting properties along the way.

SECOND, at the Boott Mill complex, we will convene with special guests Sarah Peskin and Nancy Woods, initial planners at the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission.  They will be joined by Larry Curtis, President and Managing Partner of Winn Development.  Sarah and Nancy were responsible for the fabulous Boarding House Park (once a parking lot) as well as the design and implementation of the Lowell trolley system.

Gomaco Trolley being prepared for service in Lowell. Photo courtesy of Gomaco Trolley

Lowell’s trolley epic is a fascinating story on its own.  The vehicles have ranged from a rail car with a Plymouth Fury engine to a replica car manufactured in Ida Grove, Iowa, with an undercarriage imported from Portugal.

Boott Mill Interior Courtyard I. Photo courtesy of Winn Development

Larry Curtis and Winn Development have been responsible for nearly one million square feet of residential mill development in Lowell.  Recipient of multiple preservation awards, Larry will tour us through the spectacular Winn offices at the Boott Mill and add his prospective to our conversation.

THIRD, as of 11:30 AM, at the Patrick J. Mogan Cultural Center, you are invited to be the first visitors to the photography exhibit which Tony Sampas has assembled, which is “a pictorial exhibit celebrating the on-foot urban experience the city offers.” For more information, check out the Lowell Walks exhibit Facebook page.

We look forward to seeing you next Saturday, June 11 at 10 am at the National Park Visitor Center on Market Street for the kick off of Lowell Walks 2016. For the full schedule of Lowell Walks, please see the Events page on richardhowe.com.