200 years in the making.

Byline: Sandy Quadros Bowles

MILLBURY - They have been waiting for this celebration for 200 years.

Plans are under way to honor Millbury's bicentennial with a year of special events. The celebration will begin in June 2012 and culminate on June 11, 2013, the date when the town was incorporated 200 years before.

This might seem like an early start, but a lot of planning, organizing and fundraising is required, said Catherine Elliot, director of the Asa Waters Mansion and a member of the Millbury Bicentennial Committee.

She hopes that during the period up to and including the bicentennial year residents will focus on the importance of town history. "I don't think you can ever go forward until you look back and see where you came from," she said.

As part of the preparations, organizers are asking residents to lend or donate historic items to be displayed at the Millbury History Museum.

The museum, located on the second floor of Asa Waters Mansion, features an array of items from Millbury's past. The display includes Indian artifacts, old clothing, military uniforms, advertising signs, sports memorabilia, Millbury High School yearbooks and a varied collection of photographs.

The museum is open about once a month and also by appointment. It will next be open from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 17 and Nov. 21.

Millbury's history includes two memorable firsts.

Thomas Blanchard of Millbury created the first lathe, used for uniformly cutting the exterior surface of musket barrels. At the time, Mr. Blanchard was working for Asa Waters, a prosperous gunsmith and armory owner who built the mansion that bears his name in the mid-1800s. Mr. Blanchard patented this lathe in 1819.

Millbury was also home to the first American lyceum, a precursor to today's adult education programs. The institution was founded by Josiah Holbrook in 1826.

Mary Lou Mulhane, vice president of the Millbury Historical Society and a member of the bicentennial committee, said the collection of artifacts for the bicentennial might be a great opportunity for people to get rid of old items without discarding them.

All gifts and donations are welcome, but organizers are especially interested in donations of Millbury High School yearbooks from 1996, 2002, 2003 and 2004.

"We'd love to have somebody donate that to complete our collection," said Ms. Mulhane. The collection features yearbooks from 1921.

Committee members also plan to have "scanner days" at the museum, when people can bring their photos to be scanned and returned. They also want to open the museum more frequently during the bicentennial celebration and to host special events there.

Ms. Mulhane said she is hoping that people will donate desks from the former Grass Hill Schoolhouse, more commonly known as the West Millbury Schoolhouse.

In the years after the school was built in 1861, old desks would periodically be removed and either given away or sold at a minimal cost, she said. "If they're still out there, we'd appreciate them," she said.

One milestone is already set: The committee has scheduled its first fundraiser. The committee, in conjunction with Lenny's Liquors, will host a wine tasting and culinary cook-off from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 24 at Asa Waters Mansion, 123 Elm St. Guests will be able sample fine wine and beer, with bottled wine available for purchase at a discount.

The culinary competition features food prepared by local chefs. A winner will be selected and named Millbury Bicentennial Chef 2009.

Tickets are $25 and may be purchased at the door or in advance by calling Jane Backholm at Millbury Savings Bank at [phone] or Cheryl Storer at Ray's True Value at [phone].

Through all of these events, the Millbury Bicentennial Committee has a specific goal. "We're looking to educate the children about the town and to foster civic pride," Ms. Mulhane said.

For more information on the bicentennial, visit www.Millbury2013.com or the committee's page on Facebook. To volunteer for any of the events or to become involved in planning, call Mary Lou Mulhane at [phone] or Frank Gagliardi at [phone].

ART: PHOTOS

PHOTOG: T&G Staff/TOM RETTIG

CUTLINE: (1) Mary Lou Mulhane, vice president of the Millbury Historical Society, holds historic items found in the Millbury History Museum at the Asa Waters Mansion. (2) Historic drawing of Millbury, which is on display at the Millbury History Museum.