Diane Provenz, Co-Chair of Otis Historical Commission, Leaving Her Post
By Peter Cameron
September 2025
On September 1st Diane Provenz, the Co-chair of the Otis Historical Commission, is stepping down from her position to devote more time to her family. While she will still help where and when she can, losing her leadership will leave a vacuum that will be hard to fill.
Diane started as Co-Chair of the Otis Historical Commission ten years ago. This was a time when the Commission was in transition from discovering Otis’s history to preserving it. Diane rejuvenated the Commission by recruiting new members and turning its focus to the historic preservation of various buildings in town.
Diane Provenz accepting her gold watch at the August video premiere of "The Knox Trail at the Monterey Library". Photo by Hilary Harley
She also realized how much it would cost to preserve brick and mortar historic structures. Since the Historic Commission is part of town government and can’t accept donations, she helped create the Otis Preservation Trust (OPT), a non-profit organization, that could act as a fundraising arm for the Commission. Otis Preservation Trust has raised, in grants and donations, more than one million dollars thus far, all of which has been put toward the renovation of St. Paul’s and the East Otis Schoolhouse.
The two most visible things Diane is leaving Otis are the restoration of the East Otis Schoolhouse and St. Paul’s Church. The schoolhouse is recognized in the National Register of Historic Places and St. Paul’s is the centerpiece of the downtown historic district. After saving St. Paul’s from demolition, Diane organized a town usage survey for it. The survey led to the decision to use St. Paul’s as a Cultural Center. The East Otis Schoolhouse will be an interactive, 1800s, one-room schoolhouse, set up as if it were frozen in time. This will be one of the few preserved one-room schoolhouses in the State. Both projects are ongoing and approaching completion.
Diane has championed Tom Ragusa’s survey and preservation efforts for the Knox Trail, as well as supported a video on that historic treasure. She encouraged and provided support for an upcoming Otis Historic Property project and website to further highlight and educate people about the breadth and depth of Otis history.
St. Paul’s restoration has cost about a million dollars thus far. Much of this money was garnered from government and private grants, but there were other sources of money Diane was able to tap. She held silent auctions, she got Berkshire Bank involved, and she started a table at the local farmer’s market to keep the public informed on these projects as well as to obtain donations. She left no stone unturned in soliciting private donations and grants to spare Otis and its residents the financial burden of these projects.
Diane was instrumental in getting downtown Otis Center named as a National Historic District. The preservation of this area is a key component being considered by the Revitalization Committee in their comprehensive planning for the future of Otis center.
Diane also previously served as a member of the Otis Cultural Council and has often monitored Town Selectmen meetings regarding historical or cultural discussions. She has written articles for the Otis Observer. She has poured her heart and soul into the Historic Commission and the Town of Otis. To say her leadership will be sorely missed is an understatement. Her legacy of service and her passion for preserving history will be on display in Otis for years.
We wish her all the best.
