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| Roy Kirby of Marshfield is
leading an effort to restore Hatch Mill. The original
gears, which were turned by a water wheel, are still intact.
(GARY HIGGINS/The Patriot Ledger) |
By JOHN ZAREMBA
The Patriot Ledger
MARSHFIELD - Standing in the dark, damp spot where a giant
water wheel once powered huge saw blades, Roy Kirby explains
his latest project.
He and his partners want the wheel back in place,
turning and churning and making a big racket just as it did
a generation ago. They want to fix the creaky two-story shack
that houses it and get rid of the sign that says the building
is unsafe.
In short, Kirby and the other members of the Hatch Mill Restoration
& Preservation Group want to return the 250-year-old sawmill
to form and reopen it as a museum that pays tribute to a vital
part of the North River’s shipbuilding history.
‘‘All those little shipyards in Pembroke, Norwell,
Hanover ... all had these mills. And this is the last one,
so we have to save it,’’ he said.
Mills like this one are well-documented in photographs and
historical books. But saving the building itself could offer
vivid insight into the way things were made generations ago.
Restoring the mill will allow people to stand next to the
giant grinding gears and traverse the ladder-like stairways
between floors. Visitors will see what mill workers saw and
touch what they touched.
‘‘It’s far more evocative to be in the place
where someone worked,’’ said Brian McNiff, a spokesman
for the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office, which
oversees the state historical commission.
Kirby and his partners, brothers Jack and Bob Clancy, have
been kicking the restoration project around in their minds
for years. In 2004, they bought the 3.5-acre property from
the town historical society for $1, with the condition that
they would take over the $40,000 mortgage, restore the mill
and leave the land undeveloped.
Since buying the property, they have replaced a collapsed
roof, hired a firm that specializes in historical renovations
and started a campaign to raise $600,000 to carry out the
rest of the work.
‘‘We’re going to go nationwide on this project,’’
Kirby said.
He wants educators from all over the country to take interest.
His selling point is that people who shaped the nation’s
society and commerce may well have set foot inside the mill
at one point or another.
‘‘George Washington may have needed wood,’’
he said. ‘‘These guys were around back then.’’
The Hatch Mill, at Union and Pine streets, was built in 1759.
A second, larger building was added later, and together the
structures provided wood for builders in Marshfield, Scituate
and Pembroke. The mill ground to a halt in 1965, and the historical
society bought it three years later.
The society intended to restore and preserve it but never
had the money to tackle the project. So it sat idle for years,
its roof bowing inward and its walls rotting.
Kirby’s track record indicates that fund-raising will
not be a problem this time around; he led a $300,000 campaign
to build a skate park for Marshfield’s youth downtown.
The achievement won him the town’s Citizen of the Year
honor in 2004.
About $50,000 has already been raised, including cash donations
and in-kind contributions. The group eventually wants to host
local fund-raisers - ideas include an open house at a modern-day
sawmill - Kirby said they will first try to get the building
on the National Register of Historic Places.
Its absence from that list in part led Kirby and his partners
to withdraw their request for $120,000 in Community Preservation
Act money at this year’s annual town meeting. They plan
to make the same request at the fall town meeting.
In the meantime, Kirby is taking a class in professional fund-raising
at Boston University and hopes to apply his newfound knowledge
to the mill restoration.
‘‘Imagine coming down here and seeing this with
your kids,’’ he said, standing on the bridge between
the mill and the pond that once powered it. ‘‘This
is how it was done.’’
Hatch Mill
1759 Hatch Mill built
1965 Mill closed
1968 Mill bought by historical society
2004 Hatch Mill Restoration & Preservation Group takes
over the property and begins restoration efforts
John Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@ledger.com .
Copyright 2006 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
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| Citizen
of the Year Roy Kirby shares his vision from his woodworking
shop on Furnace Street. - STAFF PHOTOS/CHRIS BERNSTEIN
|
Building on his dreams
Roy Kirby named Citizen of the Year
By
Alice Coyle / acoyle@cnc.com
"We're honored to accept this award."
That was Roy Kirby's response to the news he had been named
Marshfield's 2003 Citizen of the Year. Kirby was of course
speaking on behalf of the Marshfield Skate Park Alliance -
a committee he led along with hundreds of volunteers and contributors
of all ages who came together to make Marshfield's impressive
new skate park a reality.
That he immediately tries to shift the spotlight from himself
to others comes as little surprise to those who know him.
Nor does his seemingly endless drive and commitment to give
back to his community.
"He's got a heart a mile wide," says long-time
friend and Marshfield resident Lenny Taylor of Taylor Forest
Products. "Roy's the most community spirited person I
know. He gives all the time."
Whether through the many charitable programs he supports
through his membership to the Kiwanis Club or taking on what
appeared to be a Herculean task - building a skate park facility
with no town funding, Kirby finds ways to get things done
and help others in need.
Kirby knows firsthand that charity begins at home. Times
were often tough for the Kirby family when he was growing
up. Kirby's father suffered from mental illness and his mother
raised him, his older brother and younger sister on her own.
Kirby learned then how to accept a helping hand, and the importance
of being able to do the same for others. He also learned at
a young age to follow his dreams.
While many of his friends were off in college, Kirby decided
to put his love of woodworking to work. He fine-tuned his
craft, on the job with Clark Builders in Rockland and in the
classroom working his way through vocational school, where
he learned the skills to make fine furniture as well as build
houses.
Kirby moved to Marshfield along with his wife, Brenda, in
1975.
"I lived in the apartments behind the police station,"
he said. Kirby decided to go into business for himself in
1978 during the big blizzard. One of his first jobs was designing
and building a small bathroom for Ralph Tedeschi at his Tara
mansion in Norwell. When he completed the job, Tedeschi sent
him a note thanking him for the craftsmanship with pride he
delivered, and with that the slogan for Kirby's company was
born. The framed note still hangs on the wall in Kirby's woodworking
shop. Four years ago he incorporated under that name and those
that have worked with him on the skate park and any number
of other projects say Kirby always remains true to his company
motto.
"He puts his heart and soul into his work," notes
Taylor, who met Kirby on a job 20 years ago and has been a
close friend ever since. "Roy is one of the most skilled
people imaginable in fine woodworking and home building. Everything
he touches comes out perfect."
Just one look at his beautifully designed and meticulously
maintained cape home he built on Furnace Street, and the woodworking
shop he constructed next to it, you can see quality work tops
this carpenter's priority list. His crew of six carpenters,
apprentices and laborers Kirby refers to as some of the finest
craftsman he's ever worked with. While much of the "high
end" work they do is on the South Shore, Kirby's company
also does work in upscale communities north and west of Boston
including Lexington and Newton.
"I sort of consider us like Robin Hood. We work for
the rich and bring it back to Marshfield," Kirby joked.
But Kirby never forgets those who are less fortunate and
is continually looking for ways to provide opportunities for
them. Through his involvement with Kiwanis, Kirby has worked
to send needy children to summer camp and has donated hand
crafted toy boxes and book cases to hospitals including New
England Medical Center and closer to home to the Carolina
Hill shelter. Kirby has also built handicapped ramps at no
charge for several residents, Taylor said.
Diagnosed with bipolar/manic depressive disorder10 years
ago, Kirby has also gone to great lengths to spread awareness
and offer help to others dealing with mental illness. He has
helped create a library of tapes and books for Pembroke Hospital
and for the Victory Program in Dorchester, and has on his
own helped out countless friends and neighbors sharing with
them his personal experience dealing with the disorder.
Kirby's illness, which he sometimes calls "a gift"
and something he uses as "a tool", has a lot to
do with his drive to take on big projects and constantly be
planning ahead for others. "Bigger is better. Everything
is grandiose," he said.
That's evident in many things Kirby builds, whether it be
the giant toys he unveils on his front lawn each holiday season
or the grand scale on which the skate park has been constructed.
Ramps and jumps alone wouldn't suffice, and could not fulfil
Kirby's larger vision for the park. Thus, came the 350-seat
amphitheater where Kirby hopes movies and community theatre
can be enjoyed, and design elements like the submerged surface
of the park that will keep skaters and motorists safe. And
the stone construction guarantees the park was built to last.
When then selectman candidate Peter Mullen called to ask for
his help in developing a skate park, the concept wasn't new
to Kirby, who had watched his teenage son R.J. and his friends
skate along his driveway in their own makeshift park for years.
Kirby had in fact pitched a plan for a skate park to Recreation
Department Director Ned Bangs back in 1999. He was hoping
to do something near the recreation department just in front
of the current site of Road to Responsibility and the new
Boys & Girls Club.
That early plan never materialized, but with Mullen's campaign
push the skate park plan was rolling again and Kirby found
himself chairman of his first committee, the Marshfield Skate
Park Alliance. While everyone who knows Kirby, calls him a
natural leader, he says he prefers to play the role of worker
bee and get his hands dirty.
During the months of construction at the site, which began
a year ago, and well beyond the Veterans Day opening, Kirby
has been a fixture at the skate park. He says his work there
is far from done. Two weeks ago Kirby led a crew that flooded
the park in hopes of creating an outdoor ice skating rink,
yet another use for a facility that is much more than a place
to skateboard. And whenever he is there, he hears nothing
but positive feedback from his biggest fans - Marshfield's
youth.
"The kids drive by and see me at the park and scream
'Kirby for Mayor'," he says with a laugh launching into
his impeccable impression of the jocund mayor in "The
Wizard of Oz."
Kirby is quick to praise the youngsters who worked with the
committee offering invaluable information along with sweat
equity on the project. And while they are sometimes misunderstood
by adults, Kirby is in tune with young boarders, including
his son, who is now a senior at Marshfield High School.
"They're constantly trying new things, innovating new
tricks."
And in an age when physicians and dieticians are bemoaning
the growing childhood obesity problem, Kirby notes skateboarding
is terrific for fitness. "It gets the kids away from
the computer, the Nintendo games and the TV."
Being able to help create something for the youth of the
community was very gratifying, he said. "It's one of
the few places a young kid can go and have a good time that
he doesn't have to belong to or pay to play," Kirby said.
Providing that kind of opportunity made all the challenges
and obstacles faced well worth while he said.
"There were times when people would say we don't have
the support. But that only strengthened our resolve,"
he said.
"I had my doubts," said Marshfield Skate Park Alliance
member Frank DiCristofaro. "But I'm happy I stayed with
the committee."
Kirby, who DiCristofaro calls "the backbone" of
the committee, was also the glue that held it all together
even when times were tough. "Roy is a leader," he
said. "He gets along with everyone. He listens. He gets
things done."
One of Kirby's most significant contributions to the project
was in the area of fundraising. Fellow committee members marveled
at Kirby's ability to convince people and businesses to pitch
in for the project financially, and or through donating or
offering price cuts on building materials and supplies.
Simply stated, "Roy makes it happen," said DiCristofaro,
who has several stories to share on Kirby's amazing ability
to get others to give.
Kirby got an early start in fundraising, recalling his first
campaign came at the young age of 16. When a close friend
in his close-knit neighborhood suffered a devastating neck
injury diving into a swimming pool, it was Kirby who put together
a block party concert and dance and raised $1,300 to help
cover the family's medical expenses.
Kirby estimates that the committee has raised more than $150,000
for the park and when it is completed the value of the work
at the park will be in excess of $1 million.
While many on the committee surely thought building the park
without town funding would be an enormous challenge, Kirby
said financing was only one obstacle.
After considering three sites the committee had settled on
the Library Plaza location, but Kirby said there was opposition
to the plan on all sides.
"We had resistance from the revitalization committee,
the Pilgrim Trail condominiums and the library," he recalled.
Rick Walker at Road to Responsibility remained neutral on
the matter, and made a donation and a deal with Kirby that
his employees got paid to clean the park when it was built
and open.
Kirby found ways to reach out to people and business owners
and change minds and hearts about the project. He admits he
may have stepped on some toes along the way, but now feels
certain the end justified the means.
When it came to dedicating the park, Kirby had some convincing
to do on that front as well. But his impassioned case to name
the park after World War II veteran "Uncle" Bud
Nangle won over selectmen and Kirby is thrilled to have been
able to pay tribute to his friend and fellow Kiwanan, a man
he said inspired him, and gave him the spirit to build the
park.
A charter member of the Marshfield Kiwanis Club, Nangle was
a champion for kids in need, said Kirby noting that the location
of the park in his name couldn't have been more appropriate
as Nangle once worked at the former First National supermarket
that stood just across the parking lot from the skate park.
With his grand finishing touch a Greek-style pergola complete
with granite columns and extravagant fence still to come at
the Skate Park, Kirby is already looking ahead to new projects.
He's gearing up to work on restoring a piece of the past -
the Hatch Mill - with an eye toward the future. One of Kirby's
mantras sums up the legacy he is building; "You can't
take it with you, but you can send it ahead."
Honored to receive the award, Kirby said he was bestowed
with what he considers an even greater honor a decade ago
when he was asked to serve on the committee that selects the
Citizen of the Year. "That I was thought of that highly
and considered worthy to decide the recipient of that honor
was overwhelming," he said.
Kirby's closest friends and family members couldn't be happier
that he has been given the honor this year.
"I couldn't think of anyone more deserving of this award,"
said Bonnie Gedney, who met Kirby eight months ago at the
Ranch House during a "Fat City Band" show.
"We met at a dance and connected and the more I've gotten
to know him, the more blessed I feel to have him in my life,"
she said. Gedney calls Kirby a "real motivator"
who inspires others and never backs down in the face of a
challenge. "If someone says it can't be done, that just
inspires him to make sure it does."
Kirby's son R.J. shares the sentiment. "I couldn't be
happier. He definitely deserves it and I'm glad everyone recognizes
the hard work he has done."
Roy Kirby will be honored at the Citizen of the Year dinner
co-sponsored by the Marsshfield Chamber of Commerce Thursday,
Feb. 26 at the Bridgewaye Inn.
  
Wednesday,
September 22, 2004
"Bow-WOW!"
The first annual "Great Doghouse Construction Contest"
held at the Marshfield Fair on Friday Aug. 20, raised more
than $1,000 for the Marshfield Animal Shelter. Five of South
Shore's finest contractors were given three hours and a $200
dollar allowance from Marshfield based Taylor Lumber/ACE Hardware
to construct creative dog houses that were ultimately auctioned
off to the highest bidders.
Over 1400 ballot results revealed the following honors: Most
Original went to Chris Regan's Fine Cabniture and Carpentry,
Most Practical went to Lone Goose Construction, Most Claustrophobic
went to Craftsmanship with Pride, Most Goofy went to Coco
& Melissa Design, and Most Traditional went to H. Alexander
and Company.
Hatch
Mill Preservation & Restoration Group, Inc.
Visit Hatch
Mill Website
Marshfield
Skatepark
Wednesday,
May 4, 2005
Renovation funds roll in to skatepark
By Elizabeth Malloy/ emalloy@cnc.com
Wednesday, May 4, 2005
Roy
Kirby, co-chairman of the Marshfield Skatepark Alliance, promised
Town Meeting voters last week
that if they voted in favor of $75,000 to make the Uncle Bud
Skatepark fully handicapped accessible and keep it open, they
would not have to foot the entire bill.
So far, the Skatepark Alliance is $5,000 closer to keeping
that promise.
Jay Crowley, also co-chairman of the Alliance, said that fundraising
efforts began almost as soon as Town Meeting voted on the
issue late in the second session of Town Meeting April 26.
Before the next session of Town Meeting April 28, volunteers
gave an historical Marshfield calendar and a local coupon
book to anyone who offered a donation of $25 to the Skatepark
Alliance. Last Saturday, Kirby raised money outside the polls
at the town election, and in a major coup for the Alliance,
one donor who wished to remain anonymous offered to match
any funds raised up to $20,000.
"This
dedication to the children of Marshfield makes me proud to
live and work here," Crowley said.
Three weeks ago the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board
(AAB) told the town if the skatepark was not made handicapped
accessible it would have to close down. Had town meeting not
supported spending $75,000 to make the handicapped access
renovations required, the facility would have closed immediately.
With voter approval the town has until September 30 to make
the park compliant.
The Uncle Bud Skatepark was built by the Skatepark Alliance,
a private citizens group which turned it over to the town
in November of last year making it the town's responsibility
to correct the park's handicapped access issues. Some Town
Meeting voters said town funds shouldn't be used to correct
a problem brought about by a private group and voted against
the funding, but more voters agreed the park was such a success
with local kids that paying the money was worth it.
"Our
spirit was always not to go to the town for the money and
I think that that can still happen," Kirby said at Town
Meeting. "If we can get this vote passed for $75,000
we will, the Skatepark Alliance, still strive forward...to
make sure this complies [with the handicapped accessibility
laws]."
The
skatepark has one handicapped access ramp but the AAB said
that was not enough, and the park also needed new railings
and some other adjustments. Crowley said the Skatepark Alliance
thought the one ramp was sufficient when the park was being
built. The access is needed for the ampitheatre are in which
the town plans to host movies and concerts, or for handicapped
parents who would like to watch their children, Town Administrator
John Clifford said.
In addition to the fundraising at Town Meeting and the town
elections, the Skatepark Alliance will host several upcoming
events to generate money. On May 18 there will be a telethon
on several community access shows and on the Alliance is planning
a concert to kick off the July 4th weekend this summer. The
venue has not been decided but Kirby has already booked the
Caribbean Cruize band, and some local dance studios are on
board to give people salsa dancing lessons before the show.
This Wednesday, Crowley and Kirby are meeting with engineers
from the DPW to go over the variances they need to apply for
and plan to meet with the AAB in May.
Crowley said he's been told the AAB moves quickly with permits
and if they receive the variances they need, the members of
the Skatepark Alliance are hopeful they will be able to get
the work done before the September 30 deadline.
Echoing Kirby's promise to town meeting, Crowley said he is
confident the skatepark will not need the whole $75,000, and
he hopes the town will have to foot little to none of the
bill.
"That
was a high estimate, a better safe than sorry estimate,"
Crowley said. "There's no way in blazes it's going to
cost $75,000."
To donate money or for more information on the skatepark,
look on the Web at www.marshfieldskatepark.org.
Fundraising is well underway for full handicapped access at
the Uncle Bud Skatepark. The Marshfield Skatepark Alliance
hopes to raise money to make the renovations without tapping
taxpayers' resources. (Photo by Elizabeth Malloy)
The table seen before you was lovingly made by master carpenters
of
Craftsmanship
With Pride, Inc.
Honoring:
Pastors Mark & Sue Eagling
For
their endless generosity
To the community of Marshfield
This
table was inspired by the Mel Gibson movie
"The
Passion of the Christ."
Every hand has infused its passion into crafting this simple
yet magnificent piece.
Our
hands have spoken their own language since the beginning of
time-whether it is to hold those we love, express our emotions,
to pray, to help others, or to create a vision to come to
life. Our hands are there to carry out our hearts' wishes
in whatever way we choose.
The choice is always there for us.
In
a scene from the movie when Jesus is creating the table, his
mother asks Him why it was so tall. He said it was being made
for a rich man. The table is an invitation for us all to partake
in the spiritual "food" and abundance of life. If
we but rise in spiritual understanding the bounty of life
is there and we are given all that we need.
Each
day and every day, we can also choose to remember and be thankful
for all that we have. Our personal bounty in life can be many
things. Some of the most simple and humble thanks for our
daily sustenance and loved ones comes together at the table.
Thanksgiving can sometimes come before us in the most unexpected
of ways. Be open to it and welcome the gift.
From the crew of
Craftsmanship With Pride, Inc.
 The
Marshfield Village Gazebo
In 1993 a group of Marshfield citizens volunteered to form
The Gazebo Inc., looking for a centrally located area to build
a large gazebo of the highest quality. The story of gazebos
goes back in world history many thousands of years. Used for
entertainment, special events, a restful spot to enjoy the
surroundings, and a personal retreat for physical and spiritual
regeneration, they created a wonderful haven for many.
Where each village has its own distinctive personality, blending
together making Marshfield a wonderful historical potpourri
of past and present. The Marshfield Village gazebo with its
9 columns symbolizes the 9 villages in the community:
Green
Habor Village
Brant Rock and Ocean Bluff Villages
Rexhame Village
Marshfield Village
Centre Marshfield Village
Sea View Village
Marshfield Hills Village
North Marshfield and Two-Mile Villages
Standish Village
The
Marshfield High School, later the Grace E. Ryder School, built
in 1940 located in Marshfield village on Main St. across from
the Marshfield Fairgrounds represented the education of the
many youth who had passed through its doors, and now the wisdom
of the elderly who reside there. The school's recent conversion
into a home for the elderly seems appropriate, considering
Grace Ryder's efforts on their behalf.
Above
the Grace Ryder complex, perches the copper bell-shaped gazebo
roof, which represents the wisdom of all who have gone through
its doors. We feel this ties into the appropriate theme of
the proposed Marshfield Village Gazebo. Within the proposed
cupola's finial will be contained a time capsule for all to
discover in later years.
As
home-based company, Craftsmanship With Pride, we have been
involved with many memorable projects in the community of
Marshfield. Being a part of the American Pride Revival, we
feel this project fits right into the heart of the Marshfield
renaissance spirit. We hope you consider this a worthy proposal.
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