Planning, Tragedy, Change and Resillence

Preparation for Gloucester’s Tercentennial Celebration began officially on December 7th 1921, when Mayor Percy W. Wheeler appointed 25 people to the Tercentennial Executive Committee. Unofficially, preparation seem to begin 31 years earlier after the well regarded 250th anniversary was completed. Future plans were discussed in social and civic circles as well as within the press. The first official meeting of the Committee took place January 31st 1922 and Frederick W. Tibbetts was elected as  its Chairman.  Meetings continued and by the end of  March a tentative program was submitted and adopted. 

With plans in motion, attention turned to fundraising. Colonel and Mrs. John Wing Prentiss took the lead. In the summer and Fall of 1922 as well as in the summer of 1923, they opened their home on Eastern Point nicknamed “Blighty” for fundraising gatherings. Chairman Tibbets estimated the the celebration would cost $60,000. (Over a million dollars today adjusted for inflation) The Prentis’s pledged $5,000 and were matched by John Hays Hammond and James C. Farrell. In the end, citizens contributed close to $40,000,  the State $10,000 and the city an additional $10,000.  

Late in 1922 Chairman Thibbets experienced a physical breakdown. He reluctantly offered his resignation that was reluctantly accepted and tragically he passed away early in April. 

 After Tibbetts resignation, it was thought the celebration should be recast and the time curtailed to three days. In part due to previous publicity, in Late April, the Committee reauthorized the original schedule but three important events were eliminated, The Anniversary Banquet, The Anniversary Ball and the Art and Loan exhibit.