[MassHistPres] Demolition of a Newton Local Landmark

[Steven O'Shaughnessy]

I have been following this story and appreciate the contributions and
deserved outrage from MassHistPres contributors.

This developer should definitely pay a big price for destroying this hand
made house. The trick will be this...Every bit of this home was made by
hand. Much of the frame was hewn of oak timbers with broad axes and adzes,
the sheathing was sawn from a water powered mill, the miles of interior
trim, sash and doors were made by hand from rough lumber with hand planes
and so on....
To hire crew to reproduce this house would theoretically be possible but
there are only a handful of qualified timber framers and joiners who could
achieve this monumental undertaking and to hire these to do so would be
exponentially more expensive than simply to build a modern house that
looks, from 100 feet away, like the original would be substantial.  Still,
I like the idea of insisting it be done to make an example of this guy.

Steven O'Shaughnessy
Dept. Head - Preservation Carpentry
North Bennet Street School
150 North Street
Boston, MA 02109
617-227-0155

On Mon, May 10, 2021 at 11:02 AM WN Hill Preservation <
wnhpreservation at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks to many of you for your input on this situation and other examples
> other towns have been facing of demolitions of landmarks or buildings in
> process to be named landmarks.
>
>
> Here is the listing for the new construction on this site by a different
> realtor representing the developer.
> It describes a 2021 house going for $4.2 m, and makes no mention of the
> historic 18th c house.
>
> https://castlesunlimited.com/listing/AN3108/29-greenwood-st-newton-ma-02459/
>
> On Sat, May 8, 2021 at 10:24 AM Garrett Laws <copperandslate at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Laura,
>>
>> Is this the listing to the property?
>>
>> https://www.estately.com/listings/info/29-greenwood-st--3
>>
>> This listing CLEARY states that the house has to be retained and
>> restored. I think you would be hard pressed (based on my reading of the
>> listing) to impose penalties on the real estate agents involved. The
>> developer on the other hand likely has problems in their future that may
>> (should?) include rebuilding the farm house, not being allowed to build on
>> the site, potential loss / suspension of their construction supervisors
>> license and fines and penalties.
>>
>> I think there are a LOT of ways to address this property and send a
>> message that the same consequences will be brought statewide to others that
>> contemplate taking the ask for forgiveness not permission approach.
>>
>> Garrett
>> Copper & Slate
>>
>> On Saturday, May 8, 2021, Edward Andrews <edandrews at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> There have been more than a few instances in which the courts have
>>> required the builder to re-build the landmark building it has demolished.
>>> I would not accept anything less than this; The builder has robbed your
>>> town of its heritage.  Steps should be taken to salvage the original
>>> materials.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> In London, there is a recent example of this; An English court required
>>> that the Carleton Pub be re-built.  See
>>> https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/14/world/carlton-tavern-london-pub.html
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Edward Andrews
>>>
>>> Shaker Farm
>>>
>>> Richmond, Mass.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *From:* MassHistPres <masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu> *On Behalf Of *WN
>>> Hill Preservation
>>> *Sent:* Sunday, May 2, 2021 7:05 AM
>>> *To:* MHC MHC listserve <MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu>
>>> *Subject:* [MassHistPres] Demolition of a Newton Local Landmark
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> We discovered last week that a builder has demolished an 18th
>>> century farmhouse, one of Newton's 24 Local Landmarks
>>> <https://www.newtonma.gov/government/planning/historic-preservation/newton-city-landmarks>.
>>> This took place 3 months after the sale to a developer, despite very
>>> specific preservation measures discussed at length and agreed with the
>>> Historical Commission, and a stop work order from the inspectional
>>> department.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The farmhouse in our Oak Hill neighborhood originally belonged to the
>>> Hyde family, ancestors of the first mayor when the city was incorporated,James
>>> F. C. Hyde <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_F._C._Hyde>.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> We are interested to learn from others if you have had something like
>>> this occur and how it was handled, including penalties. There is a strong
>>> concern that if this builder gets away with a light penalty that gives a
>>> green light to others.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Another note is that the property was listed by the realtor
>>> <https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/29-Greenwood-St_Newton_MA_02459_M36199-25165>
>>> as "shovel ready" ... "get to work with your backhoe on day one."
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Laura Foote
>>>
>>> West Newton Hill Preservation Initiative
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> wnhpreservation at gmail.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Many Thanks,
>> Garrett Laws
>>
>> www.copperandslate.net
>> The Copper & Slate Company, Inc.
>> Fine Roofing and Historic Carpentry
>> 238 Calvary Street,
>> Waltham, MA 02453
>> (781) 893-1916
>>
>> *LEAD FREE SINCE 2008*
>>
>>
>
> --
>
> wnhpreservation at gmail.com
>
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>


-- 
Steven O'Shaughnessy
Dept. Head  - Preservation Carpentry
North Bennet Street School, 150 North Street | 617 227 0155 *270


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