[MassHistPres] rooftop solar panels

[Jack LeMenager]

The Wright-Locke Farm encompasses some 22 acres (including the land on which house and out-buildings sit). This is an active farm that uses as much of that acreage to grow vegetable and raspberries, to graze goats, and to house egg-laying chickens. The proposed use of the land instead of the roofs for the solar panels would have consumed much of that arable acreage, thus taking it out of cultivation permanently. The Historical Commission and the Wright-Locke Farm Trust both felt, additionally, that land-based solar panels would be visually intrusive on the landscape and the historic look of the farm. We both felt the roofs were the preferred option.

Jack LeMenager
Chair, Winchester Historical Commission


> On Apr 24, 2023, at 9:03 AM, Kristi Chase <KristiChase at post.harvard.edu> wrote:
> 
> I have been following this discussion with interest, reading the pros and cons of placing solar panels on a historic structure. Is there a reason that the panels could not be installed at ground level and screened by plantings? Do the panels need to be on the structure and not placed elsewhere on the site? 
> 
> On Mon, Apr 24, 2023, 8:48 AM Jack LeMenager via MassHistPres <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu <mailto:masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>> wrote:
>> To provide a bit more context to my earlier comments regarding Winchester’s historic Wright-Locke Farm <https://www.wlfarm.org/>, I walked through there this afternoon and snapped a couple of shots to demonstrate how well the panels blend into the structure. No, they are not perfect, but the design met the approval of both the Winchester Historical Commission and the Massachusetts Historical Commission, which holds the historic easement to the property. 
>> 
>> The first photo of the so-called squash barn, was taken as close as I could get to see the panels, set upon the asphalt shingle roof and fully removable. The other two were shot from a distance down the road (Ridge Road). The second photo captures both the squash barn and the older 1827 barn (right). (The small building in the foreground is the farm store. The panels on both barns provide a significant portion of the farm’s electrical needs.
>> 
>> By the way, the squash barn was built in the mid-1800s and was a significant innovation for its era, enabling the Wright family to store fresh squash grown in season through the winter (in the upstairs loft) and provide them with a steady income through the off-season.
>> 
>> Jack LeMenager
>> Chair, Winchester Historical Commission
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Apr 20, 2023, at 9:24 AM, Jack LeMenager <jlemen11 at icloud.com <mailto:jlemen11 at icloud.com>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Alisa — The Board of Trustees of the historic Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester (the nation’s oldest continuously operating farm) wanted to install solar panels on its barn roofs. 
>>> 
>>> The Winchester Historical Commission debated the matter at great length. Two factors eventually swayed us toward unanimous acceptance. 
>>> 
>>> First was their removability (as cited in other responses here). 
>>> 
>>> But second was the history of the farm and its original owner, the Wright family, which was always on the cutting edge of 18th and 19th century farming techniques and technologies. The Board argued that if the Wright family was still running the farm, they would certainly opt for solar panels.  
>>> 
>>> Jack LeMenager 
>>> Chair, Winchester Historical Commission 
>>> Winchester, MA
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> On Apr 19, 2023, at 10:04 PM, forrestj100 via MassHistPres <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu <mailto:masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Hi Alisa,
>>>> 
>>>> The Newbury Historical Commission is looking for the same information.  We are also looking to create a standard type of response for solar on historic homes in general.
>>>> 
>>>> I can't wait to see what others are doing!
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> 
>>>> Janice Forrest 
>>>> Newbury Historical Commission 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Sent from my Galaxy Tab A
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> -------- Original message --------
>>>> From: Alisa Struthers via MassHistPres <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu <mailto:masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>>
>>>> Date: 4/19/23 4:58 PM (GMT-05:00)
>>>> To: Mass Hist <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu <mailto:masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>>
>>>> Subject: [MassHistPres] rooftop solar panels
>>>> 
>>>> I'm looking to get a sense of how other towns are ruling on roof top solar panels in Historic Districts.
>>>> Thank you in advance for input
>>>> Alisa
>>>> Townsend Historic District Commission
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>>>> MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu <mailto:MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu>
>>>> https://mailman.cs.umb.edu/listinfo/masshistpres
>>> 
>>> Jack LeMenager
>>> 781-454-7611
>>> jlemen11 at icloud.com <mailto:jlemen11 at icloud.com>
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> Jack LeMenager
>> 781-454-7611
>> jlemen11 at icloud.com <mailto:jlemen11 at icloud.com>
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> <W-L panels.jpg><W-L panels2.jpg>

Jack LeMenager
781.454.7611
jlemen11 at icloud.com



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