October 2026: What’s Happening with the Herbie Kiosk?
In partnership with Yarmouth Community Services, the Program Committee of Yarmouth History Center is undertaking a project to ensure the long-term preservation and continued presentation of the “Herbie slice” currently displayed in front of Town Hall.
Herbie was Yarmouth’s champion elm, growing at the corner of East Main Street and Yankee Drive from about 1793 until 2010, when it succumbed to Dutch elm disease and was taken down. A cross section of Herbie’s massive trunk was put on display in a custom kiosk in front of Town Hall as a way to commemorate the beloved tree.
After about 15 years of exposure to outdoor weather conditions, concerns have grown about the condition of the Herbie slice as well as the kiosk, which is starting to shift and warp. Project participants want to ensure that the slice is protected and preserved for future generations.
In fall 2026, the slice will be carefully removed from the kiosk and brought into the workshop of a woodworker experienced in the preservation of wood and wood artifacts. We expect the Herbie slice to remain in this studio undergoing a specialized preservation process over the winter of 2026-2027. This process has been developed in consultation with experts from natural history collections in the US and the UK.
The project partners hope to reinstall the slice in an improved kiosk that provides additional information and context about Herbie in an accessible setting that also supports the continued preservation of the slice.
