32Photos courtesy of Lynnfield Historical Commission use “Edie”
A son’s dream to honor his mother for her endless dedication to preserving the history of Lynnfield has finally been realized.
The Lynnfield Historical Commission recently installed a plaque honoring Edie Pope Richard after a fortuitous discovery of the plaque in an old file cabinet at the Pope Richard Historical Center by Historical Commission Chair Kirk Mansfield while he was reorganizing the contents of the house last month.
Mansfield said the story of the plaque began in 2009 when the late Steven Richard, a longtime member of the commission, was looking for a way to thank his mother, Edie Pope Richard, for her selfless dedication to the town.
He also sought to honor former Historic Commissioner members Barbara Drozek and June Rose, who Steven Richard felt were equally dedicated to preserving Lynnfield’s history. Richard decided a recognition plaque would be a fitting honor for his mother, and Drozek’s and Rose’s contributions.
But the plaque never saw the light of day – that is until Mansfield discovered it.
“For whatever reason that is unknown to me, it was never installed,” said Mansfield.
After discovering the plaque, Mansfield said he was curious about the story behind it.
He called Nan Hockenbury, former chair of the Historic Commission.
“Nan was very happy to see it again. She told me of its history and how important it was to Steven,” Mansfield said. “Nan said it was to be attached to the stone bench in front of the historic center, however, Steven couldn’t find a company to assist.”
Edie Richard never had the chance to see the fruition of her son’s dream. She died on Dec. 31, 2017.
Sadly, Steven Richard and his father (Edie’s husband) Earl Richard both died a little more than three years later. They were among the town’s earliest victims succumbing to COVID-19. Steven Richard died on March 24, 2020 at the age of 58. Earl Richard died five days later at the age of 99.
Edie and Earl worked diligently for years running the holiday Country Store. Mansfield said Steven Richard followed in his mother’s footsteps, whose family’s legacy (the Pope family) is rooted at the former Pope family homestead that is now home to the Summer Street Elementary School. Steven Richard and his wife Karen Nascembeni, North Shore Music Theatre general manager, have helped organize the Country Store fundraiser every December for many years.
Signverse, the company that created and installed the signs that identify historical locations throughout Lynnfield Centre, installed the plaque in October.
