[MassHistPres] Thematic, multi-site Olmsted-Richardson LHD

[Dennis De Witt]

The state’s Attorney General has recently approved Brookline’s new thematic, multi-site Olmsted-Richardson Local Historic District.  Here is a link to the LHD’s study report.  https://www.brooklinema.gov/DocumentCenter/View/25464/Olmsted-HHR-SR-81421?bidId=

As you may know, in December 2020 a developer applied to demolish both the ca. 1805 Perkins-Hooper-Richardson House, which was the  Brookline home and office of Henry Hobson Richardson for almost the entirety of his relatively brief career, and an adjacent house called Cliffside, the second home of John Charles Olmsted, son and partner of Fredrick Law Olmsted.  At the very end of 2020 the Brookline Preservation Commission imposed an 18 Month Demolition Delay (18 months rather than Brookline’s typical 12 because both houses are on the National Register in an NRD).  

(As it happened, at that time there was some increasing anti-LHD feeling in town relating to concerns about affordable housing, racial equity, and Green issues.  As a result, in the spring of 2021 a proposed extension of an existing LHD lost — admittedly by only one vote — despite zero opposition within the proposed extension.  In that case even the developer whose proposal had triggered that proposed LHD extension was on record as favoring the extension.  Needless to say, it was a cause for serious concern.)

In the case of the Perkins-Hooper-Richardson House and Cliffside, there were several issues of concern if an LHD, offering permanent protection, was to be brought to town meeting.
— First, the developer was also proposing to demolish a nice 1970’s deck house situated on a lot that had once been part of the Perkins-Hooper-Richardson house lot — and it included part of the site of Richardson’s long demolished “coops” office wing.  It seemed likely that inclusion of the 1970s house would confuse the conversation in Town Meeting about the other two, far more important houses and the “thematic” nature of the LHD. 
— It also happened that the Perkins family had been involved in the slave economy of Haiti before its revolution and Richardson’s family had a sugar planation in Louisiana.  Eventually in Town Meeting there would be discussion about that.
— Lastly, Brookline town meeting normally expects ±80% owner buy-in in the creation of an LHD.  Here were three houses owned by an opposed developer and there was no realistic possibility that the immediate abutting up-market estate-area neighbors would join in an LHD.

A certain amount of luck, a willingness to negotiate, and a number of strategic decisions in formulating the LHD proposal eventually lead to creation of the LHD.
Particularly, it was decided to propose a thematic multi-site LHD — something that existed in the context of NRDs and has developed on an ad hoc basis in a few pre-existing LHDs but, it seemed, may never have been the explicit initial concept of an LHD. The professional and “home with office” practice-style links between Olmsted and Richardson made the hybrid theme logical.  It was also possible to identify enough property controlling interests that supported inclusion in the LHD of specific other sites.

In addition to the Perkins-Hooper-Richardson House and Cliffside, the Olmsted-Richardson LHD has three other sites
— Fairsted, the National Park Service’s Olmsted Historic Site at 99 Warren St.
— The first home of John Charles Olmsted and his wife at 12 Warren St.
— Richardson’s grave in Brookline’s Walnut Hill Cemetery.
(The Commission did reluctantly exclude the beautifully sited 1970’s deck house because it did not fit the LHDs theme.)

Since the successful vote for the Olmsted-Richardson LHD at the Fall 2021 town meeting, the Preservation Commission has been negotiating design review with the developer as mitigation under demolition delay until the LHD could come into effect.  Because of the exclusion of the 1970s house, it was decided reluctantly to allow the repositioning of the Perkins-Hooper-Richardson house onto the larger Cliffside lot to give it a better and more visible setting.

Three issues remain . . .

First, there was an understanding at the time of the town meeting vote that signage relating to the slavery issue would be placed in the context of the Perkins-Hooper-Richardson House.  Given the realities of the site and a need to cover all issues fully and fairly, a formulation of this seems to be evolving in consultation with proponents, involving some sort of signage for each site with QR code links to a web site  

Second, the developer has agreed to the recording of permanent landscaping viewshed easements to allow both the Perkins-Hooper-Richardson House and Cliffside to be seen from Warren Street

Last but certainly not least, the only interior space in the Perkins-Hooper-Richardson house designed by Richardson was his remarkable Studio-Bedroom.  It, of course, was not protected by the LHD.  Negotiations are underway for it to be removed and reconstructed in the context of a specific Richardson designed building elsewhere.

Dennis De Witt
Brookline


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