Meet the Cataumet centenarian recognized for her historical preservation work
BOURNE — Laurie York has been around a long time. The Cataumet centenarian has seen a lot. But has she seen everything?
Not yet, she said after receiving the fourth Elizabeth B. McDermott Historical Preservation Award on June 15 at the Alonzo Booth Forge, the blacksmith shop that Grover Cleveland patronized toward the end of the 19th century.
York seems indefatigable, and committed to the cause of the moment, a project to unfold, an area to commemorate or a place to beautify. Or preserve.
The McDermott Award, for dedication and exceptional service at the restored Briggs-McDermott House, is presented by the Bourne Society for Historic Preservation.
York has been active there since the beginning when the yellow clapboard house was saved from demolition. She organized the first Harvest Fest in 1997 and has decorated and worked in the restored Briggs House holiday kitchen since 1985.
“I want you all to know that it’s fun to work here,” York said after the award presentation.
So, how is she feeling? “Getting old,” she replied with a smile.
Over the decades
Beyond the Briggs campus, York was one of the first Bourne residents to recognize the need to improve access to and from the Cape Cod Canal at Main Street in Buzzards Bay.
Twenty years ago, that was not a fashionable idea. But York pushed it with town leaders, businesspeople and the Cape Cod Canal Region Chamber of Commerce. Today that access is upgraded and clearly marked.
Never one to recede, she has been committed to the success of the Three Mile Look path off Perry Avenue north of the waterway, with one more project still unfolding along the shaded and winding walkway.
An update New York native
York is an upstate New York native, finishing high school there before moving east and enrolling in the Boston Occupational Therapy School where she was among the first graduates.
York’s daughter, Andrea, said her mother was a “pioneer” in the world of occupational awareness for people with disabilities and those hospitalized, with a career spanning 60 years.
Laurie York is credited with helping establish the first project in Massachusetts in which people confined to mental institutions were released to residential homes. The first place was established in Hyannis, her daughter said.
A secret to longevity?
Does York hold a secret to her longevity? Perhaps. She starts her day with a bowl of oatmeal. This, she said, as she kept her eye on the food lined up on Saturday at the forge, with brownies at the far end and Italian delicacies at the start.
The Cape Cod Times is providing this coverage for free as a public service. Please take a moment to support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Preservation of houses is only one of this Bourne centenarian's goals
