Select Board Orders Demolition of Turner House

Select Board · Meeting of October 7, 2026

Pembroke's Select Board voted unanimously to demolish the historic Turner House after engineers found its wood framing crumbles to the touch, ending a relocation plan tied to the new public safety building. Town Manager William Chenard said the town had already spent roughly $125,000 preparing the move but will save an estimated $300,000 to $400,000 by demolishing instead of relocating and rebuilding the structure. The board also tabled a vote on a hazardous-waste depot inter-municipal agreement with ten other South Shore towns until October 20, after members said they had not had time to review the nine-page document.

Claire Galkowski of the South Shore Recycling Cooperative said the regional depot, planned for Hanover, would cost Pembroke roughly $2,500 more annually but save money long-term, estimating "the per car cost would be around $71." The board also adopted an updated code of conduct and its 2026-2027 goals.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,944 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of October 7, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.