[MassHistPres] MassHistPres Digest, Vol 87, Issue 16

[David Feigenbaum]

We need stronger state legislation to cover these occurrences in cities and
towns across the Commonwealth without requiring a fire drill each time. I'm
sure MassHistPres would be happy to organize and support such an effort.
David Feigenbaum
Resident of Winchester

On Wed, Mar 5, 2025 at 6:49 PM aubrey theall via MassHistPres <
masshistpres at cs.umb.edu> wrote:

> We ran into this exact situation with the Prescott House in Groton and
> Groton Hill Music Center.  Their position was that historic preservation is
> not part of their mission and as such they could not expend resources on it
> (unless they had a mission related use for the building which they
> maintained they did not).
>
> We enforced the demo delay which required it be offered for sale but Town
> Counsel opined that offering the house to be moved (which they did)
> fulfilled that.  We are going to Town Meeting this spring with a revised
> bylaw that would specifically require that the land and building be offered
> for sale.
>
> The house is coming down real time although most of the materials are
> being salvaged.
>
> Aubrey Theall
> Groton Historic Commission
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Mar 5, 2025, at 12:01 PM, masshistpres-request at cs.umb.edu wrote:
> >
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> > Today's Topics:
> >
> >   1. Re: Mass Audubon demolishes 1696 house inNatick (Dennis De Witt)
> >
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 1
> > Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2025 12:30:37 +0000
> > From: Dennis De Witt <dennis.j.dewitt at gmail.com>
> > To: Ralph Slate <slater at alum.rpi.edu>
> > Cc: MHC MHC listserve <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> > Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Mass Audubon demolishes 1696 house
> >    inNatick
> > Message-ID: <96847A2F-35DB-4A4E-885C-A05F8D95B156 at gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> >
> > There is no suggestion that it was in a 40c LHD.  It was only subject to
> Demo Delay, with apparently no requirement for offering it for sale.
> >
> > It appears that the only “solution” Mass Audubon would consider was
> moving it.  That is often a major barrier given the need for an appropriate
> site and the physical difficulties — sometimes impossibility — of moving a
> building along roads with utility lines and other obstacles.
> >
> > Clearly, an offer to have someone fix and occupy the building on site,
> comparable to the DCR program, might have been an option, but that seems
> not to have been considered.
> >
> > Dennis De Witt
> > Brookline
> >
> >
> >> On Mar 4, 2025, at 1:55 PM, Ralph Slate via MassHistPres <
> masshistpres at cs.umb.edu> wrote:
> >>
> >> Can someone educate me here? Was the building in question covered by a
> MGL 40C Local Historic District? If so, wouldn't that have greatly slowed
> demolition, until the owner could demonstrate that "not demolishing the
> building" was a greater hardship than the impact of demolition to the
> District?
> >>
> >> I don't understand how historic resources are managed in Eastern MA,
> but in Springfield a building like this in a local historic district could
> be blocked from demolition unless it was demonstrably in un-repairable
> condition.
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >>
> >> Ralph Slate
> >> Springfield, MA
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> On 3/3/2025 4:34 PM, David Feigenbaum via MassHistPres wrote:
> >>> Stronger state legislation would be a highly effective avenue. Is
> there an advocate on Beacon Hill for legislation to preserve buildings that
> are historic resources of towns?
> >>>
> >>> David Feigenbaum
> >>> Winchester resident
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Mon, Mar 3, 2025 at 3:19 PM sally milne via MassHistPres <
> masshistpres at cs.umb.edu <mailto:masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>> wrote:
> >>>> Thank you Dennis and Michael for sharing. so sad. i feel as if we
> continue to lose so many
> >>>> important assets. we need more tools /legislation from the State law
> makers. . i think anyway , something must change.
> >>>>
> >>>> Sally Urbano
> >>>> Harwich
> >>>> imdividually
> >>>> On Mon, Mar 3, 2025 at 10:24 AM Steinitz, Michael @ SEC via
> MassHistPres <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu <mailto:masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>>
> wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Some time ago I reached out to the Natick Audubon contact person,
> Aaron Gouveia, to offer a second opinion to their structural engineer who
> deemed the house a total loss. My co-instructor at North Bennet, Michael
> Burrey and I were willing to visit the site to determine if the Sawin House
> might be a good candidate for students of the Preservation Carpentry
> program be involved.  Our offer was rejected.
> >>>>> Dennis De Witt's interpretation of purposeful neglect leading to the
> inevitable may be spot on.
> >>>>> As far as describing Mass Audubon as "esteemed", my personal
> experience dealing with a manager at the Canton, MA Bird Art site a few
> years ago left me with a less than stellar opinion when they chose to
> demolish an art installation made by the deceased donor of the 120 acre
> estate.  Mildred Morse Allen was an artist and documentary maker who left
> this amazing gift to the Audubon Soc only to have an amazing, custom
> fabricated,  faux motor yacht room pulled out and her floor to ceiling
> seascape artwork destroyed.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Steven O'Shaughnessy
> >>>>> Dept. Head - Preservation Carpentry
> >>>>> North Bennet Street School
> >>>>> Boston
> >>>>>
> >>>>> --
> >>>>> Steven O'Shaughnessy
> >>>>> Dept. Head  - Preservation Carpentry
> >>>>> North Bennet Street School, 150 North Street | 617 227 0155
> <tel:617%20227%200155> *270
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Facebook <
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.facebook.com/NBSSBoston__;!!O9h35Ks8fCsF!Bva57hcsIU4KRz5QsobIb0RjmWC1tXnn2P7aWWL1DoeIson4N34yT7f-sFwrUDuIEomaKw3YHhYh0nUNmdXE0FW1zqya8Bh8uwo8$>
> | Twitter <
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> >
> >>>>> www.nbss.edu <
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.nbss.edu/__;!!O9h35Ks8fCsF!Bva57hcsIU4KRz5QsobIb0RjmWC1tXnn2P7aWWL1DoeIson4N34yT7f-sFwrUDuIEomaKw3YHhYh0nUNmdXE0FW1zqya8Pd4FpGx$
> >
> >>>>> An Education in Craftsmanship
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
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