[MassHistPres] historic dam removal

[Charles Adler]

In Attleboro there is a dam/spillway on the Ten Mile River which retains
the flow of water from Mechanics Pond.  The City of Attleboro accepted
title to a small parcel of about 2000 square feet containing the
dam/spillway in 2002.  The lot is identified by the assessor as Map 41 Lot
104A.   The deed is recorded at the Bristol County North Registry of Deeds,
Book 10933, Page 72.  (The river is incorrectly identified at that point on
Google Maps as the Bungay River.)

I believe substantial work was done around that time to repair the dam.

I am a board member of the Attleboro Land Trust, one of the abutters.  We
were not involved in this matter. I'm not sure how the work was funded or
what other owners of abutting land might have been involved in the legal or
financial details.  There is an historic mill nearby and a recreational
trail alongside the dam.  I don't know if there is an historic district
there.  The mill was recently turned into attractive loft apartments for
residents age 55+.

If any funding was involved, I think it would have been based on safety
considerations, rather than historical or recreational values.

Charlie Adler


On Wed, Feb 22, 2023 at 10:37 AM Joanna via MassHistPres <
masshistpres at cs.umb.edu> wrote:

>
> Has anyone had experience with a privately owned dam in a historic
> district?  The State is pushing hard for the removal of the 150-year-old
> mill dam in Ballardvale, Andover.  The dam is owned 50/50 by the abutters
> and, while one owner doesn't want the dam removed, neither owner wants to
> cover the costs of upgrading or maintaining the dam.  The State is
> requiring environmental impact reports, fish ladders and the like.
>
> The dam creates a mill pond that is perhaps the most iconic landscape in
> Andover.  I think many would feel it would be tragic if the mill pond were
> to disappear.  Two other dams in Andover were removed years back with
> plenty of fed/state funding.  One of those dams also had created a pretty
> mill pond which is now left a marshy swamp filled with phragmites.
>
> Looking for advice.
>
> Joanna Reck
> Chair
> Ballardvale Historic District
> Andover
>
>
> https://www.boston.com/uncategorized/noprimarytagmatch/2012/09/13/shawsheen-river-dam-removal-plan-has-supporters-detractors-in-andover/
>
> https://www.eagletribune.com/news/funding-okd-to-demolish-2-dams-on-shawsheen-river/article_615ab03d-a336-5982-bdbd-c2575636bf42.html
> https://andoverma.gov/655/Shawsheen-River-Dam-Removals
>
> [image: AndoverMA_BallardvaleMillPond.jpg]
>
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>
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