[MassHistPres] Help Save Tappan House

Fri Mar 18 22:41:44 EDT 2011

I am happy to report that Tappan House in Attleboro will not be razed.  It
will be moved.
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2011/03/16/news/9022197.txt
http://attleboro.patch.com/articles/attleboros-historic-tappan-house-house-saved

I would appreciate any advice on the best way to ensure it will be preserved
in its new location:  a preservation restriction according to MGL Chapter
184 Sec 31-33 or a Local Historic District under Chapter 40C.

Will the fact that the building is being moved disqualify it for either of
the above?

What requirements for either of the above restrictions, such as baseline
documentation, must be done before the move?

Also, I found the original plans for the building, designed in 1901 by the
firm of Wright and Isham of Providence, in the papers of Norman Morrison
Isham at the Rhode Island Historical Society. Isham taught and Brown and
RISD and was an authority on early American architecture.  He worked in
restoration as well as designing new buildings.

The plans, which are in great condition, consist of 8 sheets of vellum(?):
Floor plans for basement, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors, and Elevations for all
four sides of the building.

Does anyone have any advice on the potential uses of these plans, with
appropriate permission from the RIHS, for:

   - Helping to ensure the building is not damaged in the move
   - Educating students of architecture
   - Deepening the understanding of the public on the importance of
   preservings buildings such as this

Thanks,

Charlie Adler
c.a.adler at gmail.com

On Sat, Dec 18, 2010 at 8:28 AM, Dennis De Witt <djd184 at verizon.net> wrote:

> Charlie
>
> Jacobethan is the style designation coined in 1933 by John Betjeman, an
> English poet, writer and broadcaster who was a founding member of the
> Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture when
> such "Victorian horrors" were completely out of favor. Starting his career
> as a journalist, he ended it as Poet Laureate.
>
> He coined Jacobethan to describe the "English Revival" (an early sort of
> national romanticism, contemporaneous with the Sir Walter Scott inspired
> Scottish Baronial).  Dating from the 1830s and continuing through much of
> the century, it derived most of its inspiration and its stylistic repertory
> from the English Renaissance (1550 - 1625), with elements of Elizabethan and
> Jacobean -- hence  "Jacobethan".  It is also called by the more
> straight-laced "Jacobean Revival".  It's most characteristic examples are
> totally lacking in restraint and reticence -- as is clearly true of this
> Tappin house.  Like the Queen Anne (another fictitious name -- albeit a
> coinage more contemporaneous with the buildings to which it was applied)
> American and British examples can look rather different.  The shingling and
> wood frame construction of the Tappin house is obviously American.  British
> examples would have walls of exposed masonry or stucco or possibly tile
> hung.  The adaptation of the vernacul
>  ar tile hanging into high stye houses by Richard Norman Shaw (whose work
> you should look at) in the 1860s was an inspiration for the adoption of
> vernacular wood wall shingles for high style houses by HH Richardson and
> others.
>
> A little googling suggests the term clearly has crossed the Atlantic and is
> commonly -- sometimes loosely -- applied.
>
> Dennis
>
>
>
> On Dec 17, 2010, at 12:48 PM, Charles Adler wrote:
>
> > I am a newcomer to this list, and a resident of Attleboro involved with
> Scott Winkler and others in trying to save Tappan House from demolition.  I
> found Dennis' comment about the architectural style immensely helpful.
> >
> > As someone with no training in architecture, I did a quick scan of the
> Internet, and it does seem that Tappan House is best classified as
> Jacobethan (or Jacobethan Revival?), rather than Colonial Revival.  However,
> the Jacobethan style seems to encompass great latitude in the features
> employed.
> >
> > The features of the Tappan House that seem to fall into the Jacobethan
> category are the chimneys, the finials at the gable peaks, and the clusters
> of rectangular windows.  On the other hand, the Tappan House exterior is
> wood and the front facade is symmetrical with Ionic columns, characteristics
> which don't seem as common in the Jacobethan style.
> >
> > I would love to hear more on the Jacobethan style, and any other examples
> in New England.  This can't help but aid us in trying to save this building,
> which could be demolished as early as the day after Christmas.  Any leads on
> the identity of the architect would be of particular value.
> >
> > As to the building's condition, the exterior seems pretty well preserved.
>  The biggest difference in comparing old and new photos is the window trim
> is white rather than the original dark finish, probably due to replacements.
>  I haven't seen the interior.
> >
> > There are recent pictures of the building here:
> >
> http://attleboro.patch.com/articles/support-to-save-tappan-house-from-demolition-grows-stronger
> >
> > Pictures showing the original appearance of the house are in this YouTube
> video:
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RszpoxCn1hM
> >
> > Thank you all,
> >
> > Charlie Adler
> > ******************************
> > 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
> > ********************************
>
> ******************************
> 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
> ********************************
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/mailman/private/masshistpres/attachments/20110318/693ff612/attachment.htm>