(2/1) The Fairfield Sesquicentennial Committee will be pursuing cataloging of historic properties in the borough, beginning with those that existed during the Civil War.

The committee unanimously agreed at their a end-of-the-year meeting to engage a historian to conduct an inventory, starting with those that existed prior to 1866 and were standing at the time of the 1861-1865 war.

"The opportunity has arisen for the group to engage a historian at a very nominal cost to begin a program of identifying historic properties," the committee reported in their meeting minutes.

"It was unanimously decided," the committee stated, "that the project should be carried out in phases with the first phase to encompass the 45 original buildings present in the Borough of Fairfield during the Civil War."

According to the Sesquicentennial Committee, historian Tim Smith will be contracted for the Fairfield Phase of the project at a cost of $1,500.00.

Subsequent research phases will be focusing on the historical features and homes in Hamiltonban and Liberty townships, and Carroll Valley Borough, as well as other neighboring communities "as determined appropriate by the Committee."

Regarding the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Battle of Fairfield, the committee is organizing tours relating to the skirmish that occurred on July 3, 1863, as the Battle of Gettysburg concluded just a few miles away.

The committee’s "2013 Civil War Battle Action Tour" will be held on June 13, while the schedule proposed is still under development.

Carroll Valley Borough Mayor Ron Harris suggested that utilizing Community Media (Adams County TV ) to post the committee’s tour description, dates, times and contacts during their community advertisement segments.

Regarding committee publications, the committee noted "that the committee’s publication "Fairfield and the Civil War" has provided much of the funding for the celebrations conducted by the committee in 2011, 2012."

"The identification, photographs, history and generational stories surrounding the properties (gathered during their inventory) can be utilized by the committee for its next historical publication showing this area’s historical importance leading up to, during and beyond the American Civil War," the board stated.