[MassHistPres] MassHistPres Digest, Vol 20, Issue 22
karenljessup at cox.net
karenljessup at cox.net
Fri Oct 26 11:10:12 EDT 2007
A number of years ago, the state of Connecticut established a town commons inventory process. The shpo was also hoping then to provide educational and protective information re: commons and their importance to community character. Even with the CT shpo having been eviscerated, perhaps there are lessons to be learned from those experiences and staff who might be resources.
I wonder too whether the local land conservation constituencies might be your allies in this, and swell your advocacy ranks.
Good luck. Situations such as this are why I do much of my landscape consulting in Britain, where village greens enjoy all sorts of protective devices and champions. OK, so maybe there are statutory differences between the two regulatory approaches, and exciting challenges in the US to tackle, but it does get so frustrating even in New England were we think we are enlightened about community character matters.
Karen Jessup, PhD
Providence
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. town commons (Betsy Hannula)
> 2. Re: town commons (GRETCHEN SCHULER)
> 3. town commons (SCeccacci at aol.com)
> 4. town commons (SCeccacci at aol.com)
> 5. Re: town commons (Mitchell Mulholland)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:31:24 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Betsy Hannula <betsyhannula at verizon.net>
> Subject: [MassHistPres] town commons
> To: List Serve Mass Historical Commission <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Message-ID: <621088.41974.qm at web84001.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Out of the blue, the selectmen in our town of Westminster last month gave their approval to two different entities to put "things" on our town common - a park consisting of paved brickways and plantings, and a series of granite benches around the small bandstand. Tonight the Historical Commission requested time to review these plans because the town common is part of our National Register Historic District, and the selectmen agreed to give us time. (They didn't know we should be allowed to review any plans!)
>
> My question is - does anyone have good source material on the history of town commons that we could use to persuade others that the town common should be left in its natural state? I fear it would become more like a city park than a town common.
>
> Thanks.
> Betsy Hannula
>
>
> Betsy Hannula
> 68 Harrington Road
> Westminster, MA 01473
>
> Tel. 978-874-0430
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 23:30:35 -0400
> From: "GRETCHEN SCHULER" <ggschuler at verizon.net>
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] town commons
> To: "Betsy Hannula" <betsyhannula at verizon.net>, "List Serve Mass
> Historical Commission" <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Message-ID: <00c701c816b7$69c93780$2e01a8c0 at gretchen>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Is this the common on top of Academy Hill which will be included in your
> proposed LHD if you are successful? You really need the LHD right now! -
> You may want to point out that if you get the LHD passed these items will
> require review and approval of the LHDC - and that one would have to prove
> why such additions to the common are historically and architecturally
> appropriate additions. In addition the LHD Study Committee was appointed by
> the Selectmen - perhaps it may just be an issue of information.
>
> Are the additions money making ideas? Particularly the brick pavers? Of
> course plantings would not have to be reviewed and approved by an LHDC - but
> honestly it would be a good idea to encourage the groups and the Selectmen
> to consult the LHD Study Committee. And what are the groups that have
> requested permission? You may want to try to understand their requests and
> see if their needs could be accommodated elsewhere?
>
> We are trying to protect what is left of our tiny town green from road
> widenings - it is a constant battle I am afraid.
>
> Good luck.
> Gretchen Schuler
> Wayland Historic District Commission
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Betsy Hannula" <betsyhannula at verizon.net>
> To: "List Serve Mass Historical Commission" <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 9:31 PM
> Subject: [MassHistPres] town commons
>
>
> > Out of the blue, the selectmen in our town of Westminster last month gave
> their approval to two different entities to put "things" on our town
> common - a park consisting of paved brickways and plantings, and a series of
> granite benches around the small bandstand. Tonight the Historical
> Commission requested time to review these plans because the town common is
> part of our National Register Historic District, and the selectmen agreed to
> give us time. (They didn't know we should be allowed to review any plans!)
> >
> > My question is - does anyone have good source material on the history of
> town commons that we could use to persuade others that the town common
> should be left in its natural state? I fear it would become more like a
> city park than a town common.
> >
> > Thanks.
> > Betsy Hannula
> >
> >
> > Betsy Hannula
> > 68 Harrington Road
> > Westminster, MA 01473
> >
> > Tel. 978-874-0430
> > ******************************
> > For administrative questions regarding this list, please contact
> Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us directly. PLEASE DO NOT "REPLY" TO THE WHOLE
> LIST.
> > MassHistPres mailing list
> > MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
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> >
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 07:44:01 EDT
> From: SCeccacci at aol.com
> Subject: [MassHistPres] town commons
> To: betsyhannula at verizon.net, masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
> Message-ID: <c40.1fcdc663.3451db81 at aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
> Betsy,
> For background on the history of commons and caring for them, see:
> Ronald Lee Fleming and Lauri A. Haldeman, On Common Ground: Caring for
> Shared Land from Town Common to Urban Park, Cambridge, MA: The Townscape
> Institute, 1982.
>
> Also:
> Common Sense: A Citizen's Guide to Creating & Restoring Commons and Squares,
> Mass Dept of Environmental Management, 1984.
>
> Susan McDaniel Ceccacci
> Historic Preservation Consultant
> Jefferson, MA
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 07:56:30 EDT
> From: SCeccacci at aol.com
> Subject: [MassHistPres] town commons
> To: betsyhannula at verizon.net, masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
> Message-ID: <d68.15b8c576.3451de6e at aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
> Betsy,
> Another thought. Here is an article on the history of New England town
> commons:
> John D. Cushing, "Town Commons of New England, 1640-1840", Old Time New
> England (Bulletin of the SPNEA, now Historic New England), Winter 1961, vol, LI,
> # 3, serial # 183.
>
> It is available on line:
>
> _http://www.historicnewengland.org/resources/articles/pdf86.pdf_
> (http://www.historicnewengland.org/resources/articles/pdf86.pdf)
>
> Susan McDaniel Ceccacci
> Historic Preservation Consultant
> Jefferson, MA
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:46:55 -0400
> From: Mitchell Mulholland <mulholland at tei.umass.edu>
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] town commons
> To: Betsy Hannula <betsyhannula at verizon.net>
> Cc: List Serve Mass Historical Commission <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Message-ID: <4720903F.2020103 at tei.umass.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> A few years ago, the Department of Conservation and Recreation with
> Walter Cudnohufsky & Associates (WCA) conducted a study of 20-plus town
> commons across Massachusetts. UMASS Archaeological Services conducted
> the archaeological portion of this study. You may find what you are
> looking for in this document. The study dealt with cultural resources
> within town commons, including their archaeological content, and how
> best towns could manage and improve them. I would contact Wendy Pearl at
> DCR for info: Wendy.Pearl at state. The E-Mail addresses I have for WCA
> are: walt at wcala.com, and wca at crocker.com.
> Thanks
> Mitch Mulholland
> Director
> UMASS Archaeological Services
> 413-545-1626
>
> Betsy Hannula wrote:
> > Out of the blue, the selectmen in our town of Westminster last month gave their approval to two different entities to put "things" on our town common - a park consisting of paved brickways and plantings, and a series of granite benches around the small bandstand. Tonight the Historical Commission requested time to review these plans because the town common is part of our National Register Historic District, and the selectmen agreed to give us time. (They didn't know we should be allowed to review any plans!)
> >
> > My question is - does anyone have good source material on the history of town commons that we could use to persuade others that the town common should be left in its natural state? I fear it would become more like a city park than a town common.
> >
> > Thanks.
> > Betsy Hannula
> >
> >
> > Betsy Hannula
> > 68 Harrington Road
> > Westminster, MA 01473
> >
> > Tel. 978-874-0430
> > ******************************
> > For administrative questions regarding this list, please contact Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us directly. PLEASE DO NOT "REPLY" TO THE WHOLE LIST.
> > MassHistPres mailing list
> > MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
> > http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/mailman/listinfo/masshistpres
> > ********************************
> >
>
>
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