[MassHistPres] Local Preservation Update E-Newsletter-March 4, 2013

[Skelly, Christopher (SEC)]

LOCAL PRESERVATION UPDATE E-NEWSLETTER
Published by the Massachusetts Historical Commission
March 4, 2013


MASSACHUSETTS HISTORIC PRESERVATION CONFERENCE-
call for topics

Planning is underway for the 2013 Massachusetts Historic Preservation Conference, to be held on Friday, October 18, 2013 in Lexington, Massachusetts.  The conference organizers welcome input from the preservation community on specific topics, issues, and activities that you would like to see included on the conference day.  We anticipate that the conference will include introductory and advanced training sessions, technical workshops, discussions of current preservation challenges, presentations of recent preservation success stories and innovative solutions, and access to preservation resources and information.  Conference content planning will begin in mid-March. Please take a few moments to complete a brief 2013 Conference survey questionnaire at:  www.surveymonkey.com/s/LD2QRBW<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LD2QRBW>. You can also send suggestions by email to: conference at preservationmass.org<mailto:conference at preservationmass.org>.  The 2013 Massachusetts Historic Preservation Conference is an initiative of the Massachusetts Preservation Coalition, working together with preservation partners statewide.  The Lexington Historical Commission and the Lexington Historical Society are jointly serving as the local conference hosts.   We welcome your thoughts, and invite your collaboration, participation, and support.  Please mark your calendar for Friday, October 18 in Lexington!   For more information on the Massachusetts Preservation Coalition please visit: http://preservationmass.org/programs/preservation-coalition /<http://preservationmass.org/programs/preservation-coalition%20/>


HOPKINTON-Elmwood Farm historic district
The town of Hopkinton recently submitted a preliminary study report to the Massachusetts Historical Commission for the establishment of a single property local historic district known as the Elmwood Farm Historic District.  The agricultural land and farmhouse on this property has sat vacant for over 10 years.  With community preservation act funding, the town has purchased much of the land for agricultural use and open space.  The farmhouse, now on a separate parcel, is to be sold to a private owner interested in rehabilitating the house and barn. Through the establishment of a local historic district, the farmhouse and barn will be protected by local bylaw.  This method of land conservation and historic preservation provides a viable long term solution to preserving a cultural landscape, providing open space to the community and protecting a significant historic building while still having the many benefits of a private residential homeowner to maintain the building and structures.

Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission Grants
The Massachusetts Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission has announced that the Commission is launching a grant program designed to preserve objects and sites in the Commonwealth that are significant to the history of the Civil War.  The program, a partnership of the state Department of Veterans' Services, the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities and the Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, is open only to Massachusetts municipalities and non-profit organizations. The program will provide matching grants of up to 50 percent of a project's total cost, but not exceeding $5,000.  Eligible projects might include the renovation, rehabilitation, preservation or enhancement of existing monuments or memorials relevant to the Civil War and Civil War veterans. Proposals to construct new markers for historically significant sites will also be considered. The Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission will appoint a panel to review all applications. The application period begins March 8th and ends May 17th, 2013. Application materials may be found on the Sesquicentennial Commission's website at: http://ma150.org/civil-war-preservation-grants

REPORT ON REUSING CLOSED SCHOOLS
A national report was recently published analyzing the challenges with reusing decommissioned school buildings. The analysis focused on 12 cities around the country facing large numbers of vacant school buildings.  The report can be found at Shuttered Public Schools: The Struggle to Bring Old Buildings New Life<http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Philadelphia_Research_Initiative/Philadelphia-School-Closings.pdf> and a video at Philadelphia's Shuttered Public Schools<http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail.aspx?id=85899449574#video>.  Although the report did not include any cities from Massachusetts, the reuse of school buildings in Massachusetts includes many success stories such as conversion to residential units.  Still, the re-use of vacant historic school buildings in Massachusetts remains a concern for many cities and towns.

NEW LISTINGS IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
Bourne, Jonathan Bourne Public Library
Bourne, Bourne Town Hall
Bridgewater, William McElwain School

CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND DATES TO REMEMBER
March 8, 2013
Applications for Round 19 MPPF grants are due.
April 8, 2013
Cape Cod Historic Preservation Workshop, Harwich.  More detailed information will be forthcoming.

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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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