[MassHistPres] color of historic building

[Ralph Slate]

If the church isn't in a local district, unless the Historical 
Commission holds some kind of preservation restriction (which, I've 
heard, can be common for churches, since this is a way that they could 
have received grant money), I'm pretty sure the Historical Commission 
has no control over the structure whatsoever.

If you hold a preservation restriction, then I think you can govern any 
exterior change.

Ralph Slate
Springfield Historical Commission

GmaCarol203 at aol.com wrote:
> In Needham, the Historical Commission, of which I am chairman, gave  
> permission to the First Parish Church to restore/renovate/repair the church  Sunday 
> school building , built in 1949,which is attached to the church itself.  This is 
> not a National Register building and it is not in an historic  
> district............it is one of the buildings on our historic  inventory,  built in 1834 
> and now owned by the Unitarian Universalist  congregation. It is the oldest 
> religious or public building in Needham, built  partially from parts salvaged from 
> the meeting house built in 1774. The belfry  contains a bell cast by Paul 
> Revere. The building is the strongest reminder of  the early religious and civic 
> life of the community.  The entire building  complex has been white 
> clapboard.Now a group at the church wants the religious  education segment to be painted 
> yellow , while the Archival Committee of  the church wants it to remain 
> painted white  The Commission is agast at the  possibility of painting part of the 
> building yellow but do not know if  we  have the authority to dictate a color 
> on one of our historic buildings. We have  never been confronted with this 
> type of problem. Does the General Law referring  to the exterior of historic 
> buildings cover color choices if not in a local  historic district?
> Carol Boulris
> 203 Country Way, Needham, MA  02492
> 781-444-4028
> FAX:  781-444-2256
> gmacarol203 at aol.com    `    `    `                                            
>
>
>
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