NAHANT — The Nahant Historical Society (NHS) just turned 50 and it’s never looked better.
On Sunday afternoon, the organization hosted a “50th Anniversary Party” at town hall, where residents of every age poured into the auditorium to celebrate the landmark. This year’s festivities were dedicated to the Nahant icon Calantha R. Sears, who passed away in December at the age of 103.
“The major thing about the Nahant Historical Society is that we understand that history is always changing,” Executive Director Julie Tarmy said. “Because new facts are being unearthed every day, you just never know where you’re gonna wind up. There’s so many rabbit-holes to travel down.”
Tarmy began the celebration by speaking before the crowd on how the NHS was rooted in volunteerism. She specifically recognized the efforts of two NHS members. “Volunteers are priceless, and I can’t think of any organization that can get by without them,” she said. “And today, we have two 50-year volunteers — they’re still volunteering, they were on the original board, and they’re here today.”
The recipients of the awards were Barbara Brownley and Irene Cullinan, both of whom Tarmy cited as both being central pillars of the NHS.
State Senator Brendon Crighton presented a citation from the Massachusetts State Senate in recognition of the anniversary.
“It’s such an honor to me to represent a district that has such a proud history, and a community that comes together to appreciate and learn from their history, like the Nahant Historical Society has shown us over the years,” Crighton said.
U.S. Rep Sean Reid came before the crowd to present a citation from the House of Representatives.
“On the way over here, I was thinking about history, and the history I really love is the history of local people,” Reid said. “Thank you so much [to the NHS], and I’m looking forward to not only looking back at the past some more. But also as history occurs, we have the infrastructures to preserve it even greater for future generations.”
The event also consisted of a mix of different forms of live entertainment to ring in the golden anniversary. Students from the Johnson Elementary School recited the poem “Yes for Nahant” by Polly Bradley. The Seaside Sirens also performed several songs dedicated to the rich history of the town.
