[MassHistPres] Demolition by Neglect

[John Worden]

My letter to the Globe Northwest brought forth the additional information set forth below, from the Acton Historical Commission, which I am forwarding with their permission.

J. Worden
Arlington HDC


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----- Original Message ----- 
From: Peter R. Grover 
To: jworden at swwalaw.com 
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 9:40 AM
Subject: Wright Holden Farmhouse, 15 mass ave Acton


Dear Mr. Worden, 

Thank you for posting this letter in the NW Weekly Globe section. I would like to respond to some of the points you have brought to light. 

Yes, it is very gratifying that the Rte 2a/ 2 corridor lands have been put under protection from development. This is an important step. And yes, the farmhouse is an important piece to this DCR-listed Heritage Landscape that deserves further attention. 

The Acton Historical Commission (hc at acton-ma.gov) has been working since 2003 with the DOC to save this house and find a new use for it. We began with winning the 2003 "10 Most Endangered" listing, and cooperation between the AHC and DOC have been steadily improving since then. I am pleased to report that the DOC has graciously offered access to and labor for emergency repairs. We have recently had the scrub removed from the building perimeter, and have had NE Correctional Center crews install donated plywood to further secure the building from the elements. This is a tremendous step forward, but we have a long way to go. We need to raise more funds to stabilize the building shell as a short term goal. For the long term, we need to find a use for the building so it can go back online in some way, shape, or form. 

We recently have gained the interest of Sen.-Elect Eldridge and Rep.-Elect Benson, and we hope an upcoming site visit with them will result in additional progress. Both the DOC and the NECC show a highly promising interest in our efforts to preserve this structure as it sits on an important historical landscape. 

For those interested in more information, or interested in our efforts to save the building please contact hc at acton-ma.gov 

Peter Grover 

Acton Historical Commission 

472 Main Street 

Acton, MA  01720 

hc at acton-ma.gov 

 

 

 

Peter Grover

Architect

The Classic Group, Inc.

420 Bedford Street

Lexington, MA 02420

 

Office: 781-761-1225

Mobile: 617-823-9406

 
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