We are looking forward to seeing everyone this month! We have a light(ish) agenda that includes a determination of significance and then various project updates.
314 Winthrop Street – Determination of Significance:
The Commission will review the MHC inventory form prepared by John Clemson for the property at 314 Winthrop Street. The building is slated to be altered beyond recognition and is reviewable under the ordinance.
The Commission will then proceed with a review of the site plan application for the Fellsway Innovation Center. This project is coming before the Community Development Board and the Commission is afforded a chance to comment. The Commission will review plans and forward any comments to the board.
When that is complete, we will have a series of project updates. These will be quick but there’s lots of things happening. We hope to see you tonight!
Happy New Year! The Historical Commission is ready to kickoff 2024 with a robust agenda that moves a series of reviews and projects along. We look forward to seeing you at our meeting.
We have a new Commissioner on the board. Welcome Eleni Glekas. You’ll be hearing more about her soon, as we’ll make sure we have her give us some background information and dedicate a whole post like what has been done for the previous Commissioners. On that note, we would like to thank Jessica Farrell for all she has done for the board.
43 Allston Street: The Commission will receive the application and determine significance for the fire damaged structure on Allston Street. The Commission had an MHC inventory form prepared to document the building. We will review the information within and take action following comments by the Commissioners.
314 Winthrop Street: The Commission will next receive the application for 314 Winthrop Street. The paperwork came in late so we will determine the significance of the building next month. An inventory form has been prepared and is included below.
Brooks Park Presentation: Landscape Architect Peter Hedlund will give a brief presentation and solicit feedback from the Commissioners on the goals of the Thomas Brooks Park project. This is a kickoff meeting for the archaeological cap that will be placed atop the Brooks House site following additional archaeological investigations later this year. Peter previously prepared the master plan for the park and we are looking forward to working with him to protect one of the sites most important features.
Election of Officer and Meeting Dates: This is a hold over from December, as we wanted to make sure we take the time to include all the commissioners in this discussion. We will set our meeting dates and elect officers for the season.
Annual Report: We are almost ready to release our annual report for the 2023 year. We have a few edits to make and the Commissioners will hopefully approve the final document this evening. Once that is done, we will post it to our website for everyone to see!
We will conclude the meeting with general updates on various projects that are ongoing. If there are any questions or comments, do drop us a note by emailing us. We look forward to hearing from members of our community. Thanks!
December will be a busy month for the Medford Historical Commission. We would like to take a minute to thank everyone for their support on our projects we undertake for the City of Medford. We would also like to wish everyone a happy holidays and new year. We are looking forward to a productive 2024. With that said, here is the agenda and a quick summary of everything that’s on it!
56 Wareham Street Public Hearing: There will be a public hearing on if the demolition of the significant building at 56 Wareham Street is detrimental to the City of Medford. We encourage comments ahead of time that will be entered into the record. We will hear from the Commissioners if they feel the building is preferably preserved. We are sometimes asked…what does that mean? It means that the building has enough integrity to warrant a pause in the demolition proceeding to seek out alternatives. Once a building is demolished, it is gone forever. We often look for ways to mitigate the loss. Sometimes buildings remain, other times they are demolished. The Commission reviews the integrity with public comments to decide if the building should be subject to a delay. We encourage participation. You can review the documentation for the case below.
Additional Demolition Delay Reviews: At this time, 69 Court Street is postponed indefinitely until the requirements of the legal ad and yard sign are met. We are not sure if the applicant intends to proceed with the review. We will be receiving a number of demolition applications. These include the properties at 43 Allston and 314 Winthrop Street. We will have MHC inventory forms prepared and post them as soon as they are ready!
Shiloh Baptist Church The Community Preservation Committee has asked that the Commission determine significance for the building and then ask the Massachusetts Historical Commission for a finding of National Register eligibility. NRE statements are prepared with inventory forms by the state does not act on them until requested. Eligibility bears the same weight as listing on the register, and will assist with the preservation of the building. We will review the MHC inventory form below.
Preparations for Next Year: The Commission will set dates for 2024 and then elect officers and appoint standing committee members. We will briefly discuss the Annual Report. Most of the work is done, but we just need to conclude our business in December before finalizing the documentation. It will be ready for review in January.
Old Business: The Commission will provide a series of quick updates on all the ongoing projects. There’s a lot happening so be sure to stay to hear all the great things we’re doing! We will conclude with the approval of meeting minutes.
Be sure to reach out to us if you have any questions or comments. You can email us right through our website or sending an email to historicalcommission@medford-ma.gov. Thanks!
This month will be a busy meeting of the Medford Historical Commission. Please join us at 7PM via Zoom on Monday, October 16 to participate. We have a number of items on the agenda which can be found by clicking here.
56 Wareham Street Receive Demolition Application:
The Commission will receive an application for the demolition of 56 Wareham Street. The building is a 19th century structure and maintains a lot of its character. You can read the MHC Form B prepared by consultant John Clemson for more on the history and architecture. The Commission uses these inventory forms during its deliberations on if a structure is significant and preferably preserved.
67-69 Court Street House and Carriage House Determination of Significance:
The Commission will determine the significance of the house and carriage house located at 67-69 Court Street. The house dates to the mid-nineteenth century and is representative of those houses built for the working class residents. It has had a large addition placed to the rear and is now a two family structure. The carriage house remains. Its age is not known but it shows up on maps in the late nineteenth century. We will review the buildings for their historical and architectural history. If found significant, a public hearing would be required.
587 Winthrop StreetDetermination of Significance::
Slated to be altered beyond recognition, the residential building here will be reviewed for significance. This is one of the few 19th century buildings remaining in the northwest corner of Medford. Many in this area have recently been demolished for development. This structure is being gutted and the rear ell replaced with a large addition.
The Commission will review an application for the demolition of 64 Myrtle Street. The building was gutted with permission. The owner intends to rebuild the structure rather than work within the confines of old construction. The Commission is required to review the demolition the same as any other structure. We will determine if this structure warrants further review by determining if it is significant.
We would like to remind everyone that our program with PAL is coming up soon. Please see the flyer for more information.
The Commission will provide a series of updates before approving minutes. Once minutes are approved, we’ll be done for this month! Please feel free to check back for an update as to how the meeting went.
We have a rather light meeting so we will be providing some updates on projects. The major one is work at Thomas Brooks Park is about 95% complete. The field stone wall has been entirely restored. Pomp’s wall is almost there and is missing a few stones to finish the top cap. That will be finished by next week. We will post finished photos when complete!
Here’s a quick recap of the decisions we made at the April meeting –
The Historical Commission found 222 Boston Avenue not preferably preserved, but we expect that the redevelopment of this historically significant site will continue to have public discussion and feedback as plans continue through the Community Development Board and other city offices.
Both 12 George Street and 28 Winter Street were voted NOT historically significant.
The house at 17 Green Road was voted historically significant; the Commission agrees that it is an excellent and well-preserved late 19th century shingle-style home. Shingle-style, though now widespread throughout the country, began as a New England style of architecture influenced by domestic and commercial coastal buildings, and their use of shingle. The influence of New England shingle-style can be seen in many turn-of-the-century homes throughout Medford, but 17 Green Road is an especially good example of the style. Although the actual shingle is covered by a recent application of vinyl siding, the proportions, massing and roofline of a classic shingle-style are still evident. The house was built for a prominant Boston doctor as a summer home. Its large porches and placement on a rocky outcropping at the top of what was then called “Highland Avenue,” preserve a sense of the dramatic natural landscape, and the beginnings of that landscape’s development into residential use. More info is available in the Form B our architectural historians prepared.
The April meeting is going to be busy with a hearing and three determinations of significance. The Commission will then conclude with ongoing business. Be sure to check out our agenda that comes out on the Wednesday before the meeting.
222 Boston Avenue Public Hearing
222 Boston Avenue, formerly 55 North Street. The building is being proposed for demolition.
Last month, the Historical Commission determined the building at 222 Boston Avenue historically significant. The multi-story factory building was constructed for the G.L. Erving Company. This business specifically catered to the larger American Woolen Company complex next door at 200 Boston Avenue. The entire American Woolen Company complex is an important reminder of our industrial history. There were only a handful of large mills, the type you might see in Lawrence or Lowell, and they were constructed along the adjacent rail corridor.
You can read all about the complex in the Massachusetts Historical Commission Area Form from Medford and there’s a bit more context about the site in the form for Somerville.
The Commission has received three applications this month for the demolition, in whole or in part, at the following locations:
12 George Street
The Benjamin and Effie L. Richmond House on George Street is among the first development carried out around the Royall House. The property is slated to be altered beyond recognition and the Commission is reviewing the building for significance. An MHC inventory form was prepared for the property and is included for review.
Prominently located on a lot along Green Road, the Dr. Charles M. and Helen L. Green House is being proposed for substantial renovation that will alter the building. It is an excellent example of shingle style architecture and relates to the early development of Medford Square. The first commuter class homes were constructed just behind the line of houses fronting the main arteries. In this case, the Green House is located just up the street from High Street. It is not difficult to imagine why its owners placed it here. The quiet neighborhood is a world away from the bustle of the busy commercial and municipal heart of Medford. You can read more about the building in the MHC inventory form below.
Last but not least is the Randall – Bailey House. This building is slated to be renovated beyond recognition. It is a nineteenth century end house that is typical of the time period. You can read more about it’s owners and the architecture below.
The Commission will determine significance at the next meeting. We do not take public comments at the meeting as there is a public hearing process if the building is significant. If you would like to submit comments in writing, we are happy to enter those into the record as part of our deliberations. Please do not hesitate to send us an email.
At the end of these demolition delay items, the Commission will carry on with it’s normal business. Be sure to check out our blog posts for more information about the happenings around Medford. We have work happening on Thomas Brooks Park, and the survey of historic properties is ongoing.
A quick run down of the votes and decisions this month, and what to look for at next month’s meeting –
Both 28 Grove Street and the carriage house at 91 Winchester Street were voted historically significant. Both are in fairly visible locations – take a stroll by and see the classical proportions and Craftsman aesthetic, in the natraul stone porch foundation, and the Tuscan columns, at 28 Grove Street. At 91 Winchester Street the carriage house was historically used as a carpentry shop, and the Form B – available here – describes the lively neighbhorhood adjacent to the old railroad station, of which this business was part. At our March meeting the Historical Commission will determine whether these properties are preferably preserved.
Next month the Historical Commission will also be determining historical significance for 3 properties at the corner of North Street and Boston Avenue – 236 Boston Avenue, 222 Boston Avenue/55 North Street, and 67 North Street, most recently Rudy’s Upholstery. The history of the American Woolen Company and the associated businesses that grew nearby in the early 20th century can be read in the area form (below) that our architectural historians wrote when the Commission surveyed the Hillside neighborhood of Medford.
The Historical Commission has declined to review demo permits for both 86 Suffolk Street and 230 Boston Avenue; at Suffolk Street, the renovations do not amount to demolition and at 230 Boston Avenue the building is not old enough to fall under the commission’s purview.
The Historical Commission uses this information in order to determine if a building is significant. There are many different ways a building can be significant. The reasons sometime include architectural importance, relationship to notable persons or events, or part of the broad patterns of history that define the neighborhood, city or Commonwealth. We encourage folks to write in if they have opinions on the matter in advance of the meeting.
Also in the news, tree work did in fact start today at Thomas Brooks Park! We are clearing scrub, dead, and invasive trees within 5′ of the wall in order to facilitate its restoration. The tree warden and city departments are aware this work is taking place. While doing a walk through, we noted a memorial mid-way in the park that is in the way of construction. We will be taking this down for safe keeping and will find a suitable place to return it to at the end of construction. If you are or know the person who put this up and would like to hold onto it, please reach out to us!
Medford Historical Commission 