[MassHistPres] Local Preservation Update E-Newsletter-June 3, 2013

[Skelly, Christopher (SEC)]

LOCAL PRESERVATION UPDATE E-NEWSLETTER
Published by the Massachusetts Historical Commission
June 3, 2013

fEDERAL TAX INCENTIVES FOR REHABILITATING HISTORIC BUILDINGS-35TH ANNIVERSARY REPORT
In the years since 1977, the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentive Program has successfully assisted in the rehabilitation of thousands of buildings, neighborhoods and downtowns across the nation.  According to this report recently issued by the National Park Service, the program has generated over $66 billion in private investment in the rehabilitation of historic buildings.  In addition to revitalization, affordable housing, construction jobs and local property values have all benefited.  For more information on how the federal tax incentives have benefitted revitalization efforts, adaptive re-use and energy conservation, the full report can be viewed at

http://www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives/taxdocs/tax-incentives-35anniversary.pdf<http://uga.us5.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=c98a131ac7f667995000f88c0&id=286207d69f&e=e68c9e1e4b>

Local HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLANs through the years
As part of a retrospective look at celebrating 50 years of local historical commissions (1963-2013), MHC staff recently reviewed our files for local historic preservation plans.  The earliest local historic preservation plan located in our files was for the city of Fitchburg.  Much like a historic preservation plan today, the plan discusses the need historic property survey as a first step in preservation planning efforts.  This quote from the inventory section of the plan is as true today as it was in 1978.  "The effective means of preservation are not reactionary; they are planned and organized.  The basic step in developing a preservation plan is to be aware of what there is to preserve.  This entails a city-wide examination of buildings, sites, monuments and structures."  More recent local historic preservation plans were completed in Barnstable, Easton and Wareham.  The town of Randolph's historic preservation plan, funded through a matching survey and planning grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission, will be completed this summer.  For more information on local historic preservation plans, contact Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us<mailto:Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us>

belmont passes local historic district
At annual town meeting, the town of Belmont approved the establishment of the Richardson Farm Historic District.  The last active farm in the town of Belmont, the farmland was protected by an agricultural preservation restriction in 2002.  However, the two farmhouses on the property, a late 18th and early 19th Century residence, were not protected from alteration or demolition.  The current owner of the agricultural land and historic buildings requested the establishment of this local historic district in order to protect the buildings.

medfield passes 18 month demolition delay
The town of Medfield, at spring town meeting, revised their 12 month demolition delay bylaw to an 18 month delay.  Additional municipalities with an 18 month demolition delay include Acton, Amesbury, Brookline, Chatham, Leverett, Middleborough and Newton.  For more information on demolition delay bylaws, contact Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us<mailto:Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us>

CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND DATES TO REMEMBER
June 27, 2013
Demolition Delay Workshop, Ashfield. 7pm.  For more information, contact Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us<mailto:Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us>
October 18, 2013
Massachusetts Historic Preservation Conference, Lexington.

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Please forward this newsletter on to others that may be interested.  If you are receiving this as a forwarded message and would like to receive it directly, please contact the Massachusetts Historical Commission.   The Massachusetts Historical Commission also has a listserve, known as masshistpres, specifically for historic preservation.  You can join this listserve by visiting http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/mailman/listinfo/masshistpres.  This newsletter is posted on masshistpres directly and sent to local commission members.  We welcome your thoughts on what you would like to see in this newsletter.  The website for the Massachusetts Historical Commission is http://www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc/mhcidx.htm
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