[MassHistPres] Arlington Town Hall cupola demolition

[Ed Nilsson]

Marblehead's 1714 St. Michael's Church steeple, removed for maintenance reasons in 1793 because of the dismal postwar economy and then absent for 221 years, was reconstructed in 2014 for the church's tercentenary celebration.  The National Park Service guidelines differentiate 'reconstruction' from 'preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration.'  In addition to the requirement for archeological research to determine the original form, substitute materials may be used in reconstruction as long they recreate the historic appearance.  The use of contemporary materials in a clear manner also helps identify the chronological context that the work was done.
-Ed Nilsson, project architect
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From: MassHistPres <masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu> on behalf of Michael Ruderman via MassHistPres <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2024 3:14 PM
To: MHC MHC listserve <MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu>
Subject: [MassHistPres] Arlington Town Hall cupola demolition

Arlington has issued an RFP for the demolition of the cupola on its 1913 Robbins Memorial Town Hall, a National Register building located within the town center national historic district. Water infiltration through and around the cupola has ruined the ceiling below and made the hall's formal meeting room unusable.

At this date there's no plan for replacing the cupola. The town manager has speculated about using "alternative materials", leading local wags to imagine "Barbie's Plastic Fantastic Town Hall Topper" surmounting R. Clipston Sturgis's Classical Revival base.

Seriously though, has anyone had experience with the replacement of a prominent municipal building's cupola with a facsimile?

Michael Ruderman
x-Arlington Historical Commission

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