[MassHistPres] RE historic looking convenience store/gas station

[James Hadley]

Sorry, but I have a basic disagreement with the notion of "colonial-ish." 
Here on Cape Cod this is a curse. We are becoming a theme park of pseudo architecture, slaves to a notion of history that is entirely bogus. Real history is complicated, filled with color and quirks; the "Patti Page" vision is an all - white and cedar shingle fantasy world, organized for a incurious public that is unwilling to open toward any sort of complication. What is worse, the window openings of our historic districts are now filled with fake plastic muntin bars sandwiched between double glazing. The "good" window replacements are the ones with fake muntins on both sides of the double glazing.
And still the tourists come.
James Hadley

Sent from my iPad

On Apr 28, 2013, at 2:59 PM, David Temple <davidftemple at yahoo.com> wrote:

> About 15 years ago Cumberland Farms wanted to put a store in an LHD at the intersection of Routes 27 and 109 in Medfield.  They proposed tearing down a nondescript gas station and replacing it with their generic store. The Medfield HDC met with Cumberland representatives and persuaded the company to put up a colonial-ish store that was much more compatible with the neighborhood. 
>  
> In your reply, please include my original message. AOL users please note!
> 
> David Temple 
> David F. Temple, Inc. 
> 300 South Street 
> Medfield, MA 02052 
> 508-359-2915 
> 
> From: "jworden at swwalaw.com" <jworden at swwalaw.com>
> To: jel42 at comcast.net; MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu 
> Sent: Friday, April 26, 2013 11:08 AM
> Subject: [MassHistPres] RE historic looking convenience store/gas station
> 
> Jane,
>  
> Part of your message disappared into the ether, but I can speculate on 
> what you were thinking.
> 
> When Cumberlanbd Famrs came to Arliongton many years ago, they tore 
> down the last remaining blacksmith shop and built a typical glass front box. 
> Maybe they're more sensitive now.  When Osco wanted to come here, I tried 
> to persaude them to put a "skin" on their building to replicate an 18th century 
> tavern that featured in the first day of the American Revolution, but they were 
> committed to the big box look. The Planning Board eventually turned them 
> down on other grounds.
> 
> John Worden
> Arlington HDC
> 
> 
> 
> ------- Original Message -------
> From : Jane Lowell[mailto:jel42 at comcast.net]
> Sent : 4/25/2013 8:49:56 PM
> To : MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
> Cc : 
> Subject : RE: [MassHistPres] historic looking convenience store/gas station
> 
> Cumberland Farms is seeking to build in Mendon’s Historic Center District.  The district is merely honorary so the HC has no clout.  The plans submitted to the PB
> 
> 
> ******************************
> 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/20130428/58a3aa70/attachment-0001.htm>