[MassHistPres] Princeton, MA

[Jim Wald]

Yes, I agree with the previous comments:

1) This material is generally publicly available already.
2) The notion that one could keep such basic and innocuous information 
private in the age of the web and Google Earth and Street View is quaint.

The Amherst Assessor's page includes not just ownership information and 
history, but even floor plans:

http://www.amherstma.gov/index.aspx?NID=400

We had a wave of break-ins this past summer, and although they have not 
been solved, it seemed pretty clear to police that these were targets of 
opportunity.  Good locks and nocturnal lighting do much more to prevent 
such crimes than public information about the property does to increase 
their likelihood.

Jim Wald
Chair, Amherst Historical Commission


On 26/03/2011 08:26, Joyce Anderson wrote:
>
> The Princeton Historical Commission has in its possession a collection 
> of index cards with each card listing the former owners of the houses. 
>  This has been known historically  as 'The Princeton House File'. The 
> collection of approximately 300 index cards were compiled by two 
> former members who were assessors for the Town of Princeton in the 
> 1950's. Most of the cards have been kept up to date with the current 
> owners names on them. One member of our commission has transcribed the 
> cards into a word document while another member has inserted current 
> (2006) photographs of the houses, as well as historic photographs to 
> correspond with the information. We would like to put this information 
> on the PHC webpage for the town, however there has been concern from 
> others in town that this should not be allowed because of the 
> potential  for robberies and the invasion of privacy.  I would like to 
> know if anyone on our mailing list has any comments or suggestions.
>
> Thank you in advance.
>
> Joyce Anderson
>
> Princeton Historical Commission
>
>
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