The Massachusetts Archaeological Society, Inc. (MAS) is seeking CPA support
for a program of fire suppression and detection systems replacement at the Robbins
Museum of Archaeology. This proposal outlines the project that is designed to protect the
significant archaeological collections and the historic building maintained at the museum.
These rare and unique materials speak eloquently to the Native American history and
settlement of the Middleborough area. The museum, itself a Contributing Element to the
Middleborough Center Historic District, preserves some of the major historic resources
and artifacts from the earliest occupations of Nemasket, the Native American name for
the Middleborough. As described below, the Robbins Museum building has a more than
50-year-old fire suppression system that is now out of compliance with current fire
prevention and detection standards. This request for funding is aligned with Community
Preservation Goal 1, in that support for the proposed will provide an essential level of
protection for historic, cultural, and archaeological materials related to the heritage of
Middleborough.