For Immediate Release: 11/9/2022 5:07 pm
WORCESTER – As the year 2022 – Worcester’s 300th as a municipality – comes closer to a close, the City of Worcester would like to make the public aware of several exciting Tercentennial developments, including commemorative jewelry, a commemorative book, and an interactive digital edition.
EXCLUSIVE TERCENTENNIAL PENDANTS BY LOLA COMPANY
In an exclusive collaboration with LOLA (Love One, Love All) COMPANY jewelry, a limited number of custom-designed sterling silver and enamel pendants will be released in time for the holiday season. A “Worcester Tercentennial” pendant will be available in the small/19mm size and will feature the official Worcester Tercentennial logo in sterling silver, accented with a choice of white, periwinkle or pink enamel at a price of $80. A “Harvey Ball Smiley Face” pendant will be available in the medium/27mm size and will feature the original Harvey Ball Smiley Face in sterling silver, accented with yellow-gold enamel. Less than 50 of each pendant will be available at a price of $130. All proceeds from the sales of these pendants will go to the Worcester Public Library Foundation and the Worcester Historical Museum.
LOLA’s limited edition Worcester Tercentennial pendants will be available for sale beginning December 1st at the Worcester Public Library, Sharfman’s Jewelers, Worcester Wares, and the Worcester Historical Museum.
TERCENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIVE BOOK
The Tercentennial commemorative book, “City of Worcester 1722-2022,” will be available for sale beginning Nov. 11 at the Worcester Public Library, Worcester Wares, and the Worcester Historical Museum.
The book was assembled by a team of volunteers, including those from the Worcester Historical Museum, in collaboration with New England Business Media/Worcester Business Journal. Proceeds will benefit the Worcester Public Library and the Historical Museum.
“The commemorative book tells the story of our wonderful city,” said Kimberly Salmon co-chair of the Tercentennial Committee. “We’re grateful to everyone who contributed to its creation.”
DIGITAL BOOK ACCESS WILL LINK TO ARCHIVES
Additionally, the book will available digitally on the Worcester Historical Museum’s website after the first of the year. Thanks to a gift of approximately $100,000 from the Worcester Tercentennial Committee, the digital edition will be updated annually for the next two years and will include QR codes that will link the reader to additional materials that expand on topic areas of the book. With a goal of better connecting people to an extraordinary set of materials curated by the Worcester Historical Museum to give users both a deeper understanding of various topics, and a jumping-off point to follow interest into Worcester’s history. Opportunities for community members to submit materials for inclusion will be made, with more detail being shared as the book goes live on the WHM site.
“This will be an unbelievable resource,” said Catheryn McEvoy, co-chair of the Tercentennial Committee. “We envision linking people to Worcester’s rich history so they can understand how our wonderful city came to be.”
“From the top to the bottom this was a community event,” said Mayor Joseph M. Petty. “I want to thank all of the committee members who were so intentional in their planning of the events and of course the Tercentennial commemorative book. This entire effort was about showcasing every part of our community throughout our history and they did exactly that.”
Back in June, organizers held Tercentennial Weekend in the city which featured fireworks at Polar Park, a stroll in the Canal District, a 5K road race, a cultural parade, a community festival, a family outing with the Bravehearts, as well as performances by Ricky Duran, Brian McKnight, and the Boston Pops.
“I want to thank Tercentennial Committee honorary chairs Mayor Petty and former City Manager Ed Augustus, along with co-chairs Kate McEvoy and Kim Salmon, and all the volunteers who contributed to this year’s programming,” said Acting City Manager Eric Batista. “Their passion and commitment led to a celebration worthy of the second largest city in New England, and raised the bar for all the anniversaries that will follow.”
The municipality, named after Worcester, England, was first established as a town in on June 14, 1722, and later became a city on leap day, Feb. 29, 1848. During the past
three centuries, Worcester has evolved from modest but instrumental revolutionary beginnings to a diverse and modern city, the second most populous in New England, rich in innovation, history, and culture.
The Worcester Tercentennial has been made possible by the city’s dynamic corporate and community partners. Programming and activities throughout the year have been underwritten and sponsored by local businesses, foundations, nonprofits, and friends. To find out more about the sponsors, visit www.worcestertercentennial.com.
