(http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/albums/Old-Fairfax/awr043_ladiesgrp.sized.jpg)
The photo above is just South of what used to be the Fred & Bette Bellows Home. The building behind it is now owned by Dick LeClair and back when this photo was taken it was a Wagon & Harness Shop.
The Ladies Village Improvement Society was started in Fairfax on August 24, 1898 and its intent and purpose was just as its name stated. This group of women set out to raise money to make improvements in the village. They did this with sugar parties, chicken pie suppers, strawberry festivals, election dinners, ice cream socials, town meeting day dinners (plus even a town meeting day supper on several occasions) and food sales. They had plays that were not only in Fairfax, but in Westford and Fletcher as well. Several entries also indicated they sponsored moving pictures, a calico social and a masquerade prom in addition to some canvassing for donations. Each year the town voted them a small amount of money also. In 1911, their records indicated that they put on the BFA Alumni Banquet as another of their fund raisers. This appeared to be a yearly event through 1943.
Between 1898 and 1906, the main emphasis was on sidewalks, however, in 1906 they took on a project that we all benefit from today anytime we are in the village at night. This group of very hard working women are responsible for the street lights in the village of Fairfax. They not only raised the money to install them, they identified where they wanted them and paid for all maintenance and electricity until they dissolved the association on April 17, 1944. They were reimbursed by the town each year for the cost of the lights that were in the bridges, otherwise, the street lights were free to the townspeople between 1906 and 1944.[/b]