THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FrIDAy, JUly 3, 2026 Page 5 MSBA Announces Final Audit of 10 School Projects totaling over $153.8M B OSTON—State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg, Chair of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”), and Mary L. Pichetti, MSBA Executive Director/Deputy CEO, announced this week that the MSBA Board of Directors has approved final audits for 10 projFOURTH OF JULY | FROM PAGE 2 elected seven times to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The Cheever home still stands on Vine Street. Many of the families sent more than one son to battle. Sometimes fathers and sons were both of an age to fight. The marker at the end of the path in the Saugus Center Cemetery (also sometimes called the west parish cemetery or third parish cemetery, or in recent years the Revolutionary War cemetery) “erected by the Senior Citizens Association to Honor our Soldiers of the American Revolution” lists seven members of the Hitchings family, six Newhalls and ects from eight districts, totaling over $153.8 million in grants from the MSBA. The final audit stage is the last step in the MSBA building process and represents the successful completion and closeout of these projects. The Saugus Middle-High six Boardmans, as well as other families represented by more than one individual. Six from the Stocker family also served as the war dragged on. Many of these soldiers were eventually laid to rest in this cemetery, their gravesites often including flag holders donated by the Sons of the Revolution (SAR). Family members are also interred here in many cases, although the old stones are sometimes difficult to read. Just a few days after the Concord fight, Parson Roby joined the “safety committee,” which had a key part in organizing the townsmen to be ready for action. It has often been said that he would appear in church carrying his bible in one hand and his musket in the other. I have never heard it menSchool, which was completed in August 2021, was among the projects that received final audit approval as a Core Program. Total Project Budget cost $160,691,190 The town received a Total Facilities Grant of $62,106,371. “Every project undertaken by the MSBA is a step toward cretioned which arm he used for each! Once the revolution had ended, he continued his ministry for many more years, serving 51 years in all. While he did not live to see Saugus become a separate town, the Daughters of the American Revolution local chapter is named after him, and the brick school in Saugus Center that later became the School Administration building was named the Roby School. He remains one of the more colorful characters from the revolutionary era of Saugus history. A reenactor portraying him will be among those expected at the Iron Works tomorrow afternoon. ating the 21st century learning environment that all Massachusetts students deserve,” Treasurer Goldberg said. “We are delighted to have made these important investments in Massachusetts schools.” The Board approved the projects from the MSBA’s Core Program and Accelerated Repair Program, which consists of repairs or replacement to roofs, windows/doors and/or heat pumps. The combined grant value of the 5 audited projects was $153,898,024. FINAL AUDIT | SEE PAGE 12 A diorama inside the museum at the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site shows workers laboring in the intense heat at the Saugus Iron Works a century before the war for independence. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) THE GRAVESITE OF PARSON JOSEPH ROBY: The Rev. Roby played a prominent role as a religious leader and patriot in leading men from Saugus to fight for freedom and independence during the Revolutionary War. According to historical accounts, he went to church with his musket under one arm and his bible under the other. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler)
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