[MassHistPres] Form Bs on line

[Marcia Starkey]

Hello,

 

I wonder if the use of the term "Form Bs" means that towns are only giving
attention to Building forms or if this means all inventory forms?  

 

Marcia Starkey, Greenfield HC 

 

From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
[mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Joseph Larson
Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2012 10:35 AM
To: 'Heli Meltsner'; 'Lee Wright'
Cc: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Form Bs on line

 

The Pelham Historical Commission has supplied MHC with all our MHC Forms B
and attachments in digital form and MHC has posted them on the Pelham
section of their MACRIS web site.

 

 

Joseph S. Larson, Co-Chairman

Town of Pelham

Historical Commission

27 Arnold Road

Pelham, Mass. 01002-9757

413-256-8256

 

 

 

From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
[mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Heli Meltsner
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2012 5:09 PM
To: Lee Wright
Cc: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Form Bs on line

 

The Lexington Historical Commission created a comprehensive website that
includes scans of the town's individual building, object and structure forms
as well as area summaries; area forms; historic maps; lists of building
plans; a bibliography and a style guide. See
http://historicsurvey.lexingtonma.gov/. 

 

Heli Meltsner

 

On Apr 3, 2012, at 11:00 AM, Lee Wright wrote:

 

Several have, Judith.

 

Here in Marlborough, another volunteer from the historical society board and
I put ours online in 2008.  We spent roughly $50 or so for a piece of
software and did it all ourselves.  It was straightforward--neither of us
have any software development skills-- and is explained in detail at the
bottom of this page: http://historicmarlborough.org/Creating_this_site.html.

 

= Narrative: http://historicmarlborough.org/Architecture.html

 

= Detailed listing: http://historicmarlborough.org/Property_Survey.html

 

(We also uploaded them to the free document publishing site Scribd, which
makes them more widely available and allows anyone to embed them in their
site.)

 

As you can see, it's very rudimentary, but it was cheap and easy.  And since
we've had it online for the last four years or so, it's become one of the
largest traffic drivers to our site.  

 

However, compared to what's been possible for the last many years and to
what people expect, it's far from ideal.  Among other things, theres is no
linking within or between documents, no automated mapping, which could
incorporate StreetView, for example, and no web-based platform for updating
the information.  As a result, we have legal documents online, not
engagement with our community's historic buildings.  The information is
outdated as soon as it's collected and is never updated until, typically,
decades have passed.

 

Here are two innovative approaches that address different aspects of these
shortcomings:

 

- http://www.placeography.org -- From the Minnesota Historical Society.  

 

- http://www.whatwasthere.com/ -- A free site that makes it easy to upload a
photo of any location and compare that photo to the present StreetView
photo.

 

 

I also believe that the state has been scanning them, but can't find them
online.  Perhaps someone else from the list can supply the URL.

 

Good luck with your project--

 

Lee 


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 
Lee Wright  | |  Marlborough, MA





 

On Apr 3, 2012, at 10:15 AM, Judith Lund wrote:

 

The Town of Dartmouth is beginning to put its Form Bs, funded by CPC, on
line on the town website for our citizens to see.  We are wondering if any
other towns have done this.
Judy Lund, Acting Chair, Dartmouth Historical Commission.
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