Highlights from DCR’s Office of Cultural Resources

Learn about the activities of the Office of Cultural Resources in your Massachusetts State Parks.

Current Initiatives

DCR Celebrates the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution DCR Celebrates the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution +

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Work is underway to restore the 1889 Norumbega Tower Work is underway to restore the 1889 Norumbega Tower +

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Highlights

DCR replaced the porch and the wood-shingled roof at the historic Tenney Gatehouse in partnership with Historic Methuen.  This estate building was built circa 1840 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. (November 20, 2025)

The DCR Stewardship Council has adopted 7 Resource Management Plans for parks, forests, and reservations in the Wachusett Complex: Dunn State Park, Hubbardston State Forest, Johnny Appleseed State Park, Lancaster State Forest, Leominster State Forest, Wachusett Mountain State Reservation, Westminster State Forest. (October 9, 2025)

DCR, working though the Historic Landscape Preservation & Collaboration Team, has completed masonry conservation on the National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth. The National Park Service awarded a Semiquincentennial Grant to DCR for the project. A second project phase will rehabilitate the landscape to enhance the visitor experience and improve accessibility. (August 2025) 

DCR is seeking Expressions of Interest for the reuse of 5 historic properties statewide. (July 2025)

Preservation Massachusetts has recognized DCR with a Paul & Niki Tsongas Award for the restoration of the Spectacle Pond Abattoir. (June 6, 2025) 

 DCR partner Massachusetts Historic Preservation Corps received a prestigious Paul & Niki Tsongas award for training future generations of preservation tradespeople (June 6, 2025)

 CBS Boston featured DCR’s Plans Archive digitization project. (December 22, 2024)

 Learn from a video of DCR’s archaeology staff at a pop-up archaeology laboratory. (October 13, 2023)

Explore an archaeological dig at a Civil War-era blacksmith shop on George’s Island! (November 8, 2022)

The Boston Preservation Alliance honored the Speedway in Brighton with its the prestigious Robert Keuhn Award. (May 11, 2022) 

DCR Historic Curatorship Program released a StoryMap and  “Before and After” pictures highlighting work accomplished through this unique public-private partnership. (February 28, 2022)

Watch a short film highlighting DCR’s Historic Curatorship Program. (September 9, 2021)

DCR’s Archivist presented a talk on the multi-year collaboration to catalog and digitize thousands of images that document the 1927-1947 real estate takings for and construction of the Quabbin Reservoir and associated infrastructure for the metropolitan water supply system. (2020)