Marblehead board lit up about Abbot Hall this holiday season

MARBLEHEAD – As far as Marbleheaders are concerned, nobody can hold a candle to Abbot Hall, their historic office building – but during the upcoming holidays they can expect to see candles in Abbot Hall?s windows.The kind of candles they will see became a subject for debate at Tuesday?s meeting of the Historical Commission, which oversees the historic aspects of Abbot Hall.Custodian Stephen Ware told the commission Tuesday there are 42 windows in the building and he plans to install electric candles in each of them.The problem is, the candles that have been used for that purpose are more than 15 years old and Ware told the commissioners it might be time to go modern, with rechargeable votive candles. He said he could buy 48 of those for $970.Commissioner William Conly told Ware to buy 60 rechargeable candles, to use money raised by the commission?s Abbot Hall gift shop and to spend no more than $1,300.That didn?t last long, however. When Conly asked Ware how often the candles needed charging, Ware told him they would have to be recharged daily. “That?s an hour of work every day,” Conly said.Chairman Chris Johnston suggested purchasing brand new electric candles with cords and extension cords, at a cost of $1,000 or less, “immediately.”Commissioners supported that motion unanimously.