[MassHistPres] Historical Significance based on Streetscape

[Jack LeMenager]

Jay — Winchester’s demolition delay bylaw spells out the specific rationale how a property may be determined to be historically significant. Based on the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 36, Part 60 <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-I/part-60>, we wrote the following guidelines into our bylaw:

An Eligible Building’s Historical Significance shall be evidenced by demonstrating that the Eligible Building has a quality of significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering and/or culture and which possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and/or association, and:

is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history,
is associated with the lives of significant persons in our past,
embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or 
represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction, or prehistory.

To achieve what you wish to do in your case, we would probably invoke the fourth qualifier. In other words, the property is a contributing component to a large entity — a historical neighborhood — and as such, its loss would prove harmful for the greater whole.

I hope that’s helpful.

Jack LeMenager
Chair, Winchester Historical Commission


> On Feb 7, 2025, at 8:10 AM, Jay Tetzloff via MassHistPres <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu> wrote:
> 
> Hello all - has anyone in the group invoked their demolition delay bylaw by declaring a structure to be historically significant based on its relationship to other structures and the sightlines / streetscape?  My town has a demo permit pending for an 1880s Mansard structure which individually does not qualify (we have no historic property survey on it and there are several other mansard buildings on the street), but is unique in the sightlines and context it creates.   Any firsthand experience with this specific situation would be most appreciated!  Thank you,
> 
> --
> Jay E. Tetzloff
> 612-669-9943 direct
> https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaytetzloff
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