New & Events

Thomas Brooks Park: Update 2.0!

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Have you seen all the amazing work happening at Thomas Brooks Park on Grove Street? If you have not been down this historic street in a while, drive by as you’re in for a treat! Progress is moving right along with the restoration of Pomp’s Wall and the Fieldstone Wall. Here is a quick summary of what has happened in the last two weeks.

Pomp’s Wall:

The lower portion of Pomp’s wall has been restored. The wall is laid in Flemish Bond, a decorative brick pattern that can now be seen clearly. Much of the wall is original 18th century brick and the mason is doing everything he can to preserve the hand made features. The far end, which was ready to topple over, is on its way to being reconstructed. The bricks were stored to document their exact location so the wall will be rebuilt exactly as it was.

Fieldstone Wall Restoration:

The contractors are moving right along with the rebuilding of the granite wall that borders the remainder of the park. We are pleased with the progress to date. They have laid more than one hundred feet of stonework in the past week and that is impressive.

We have received several calls and emails pertaining to access openings in the park. Rest assured that there will be plenty of access points along the length of Grove Street. These have been strategically mapped out with assistance from our landscape architect, the Department of Public Works, City Engineering/Traffic Department and the on-site contractor. Some entrance points are being moved to ensure the safest crossing area and site lines for pedestrians when crossing the street. If your favorite access point has been closed off, it is very likely that there will be a new opening created close by!

Do look for the openings, such as this one opposite Laird Road. We will mark them with signage and crosswalks in the next phase of work. We look forward to your ongoing support for the restoration efforts in Thomas Brooks Park! If you are interested in being on our email list, please do not hesitate to send us an email to sign up at historicalcommission@medford-ma.gov.

April Meeting Materials

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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.

American Woolen Company – MHC Area Form from Medford_Download
American Woolen Company – MHC Area Form from SomervilleDownload

Determination of Significance:

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.

12 George Street – MHC Form BDownload

17 Green Road

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.

17 Green Road – MHC Form BDownload

28 Winter Street

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.

28 Winter Street – MHC Form BDownload

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.

Sharing History:

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The Medford Historical Commission recently was contacted by Vernon Chandler who wanted to share a bit of Medford history with the residents of Medford. He wrote a wonderful little blog post which we are sharing with our audience to raise awareness of our rich and diverse heritage.

Remembering Pvt. Kenneth E. Miller of Medford

My name is Vernon E. Chandler Ill of 34 Prospect St. in Hamilton, MA. My dad (Vernon E. Chandler Jr) and my mom (Joan E. (Gosse) Chandler) were long-time Medford, MA residents, as were their parents Vernon E. Chandler Sr. and Marjorie E. (Morton) Chandler and Charles W. Gosse and Alice (Colby) Gosse. I was born in Medford, MA and lived there with my family until 1957. We then moved to Reading, MA where we lived until I got married in 1977. I then moved to Hamilton, MA where I still live today.

I contacted the Historical Commission because my son (Brian Chandler) and I have been researching my second cousin, Pvt. Kenneth E. Miller of Medford, MA who was killed in Germany in WWII on October 18, 1944. He was the son of John B. Miller and Annie G. Miller (Alice Gosse’s sister) who lived at 19 Liberty Ave. in Medford, MA. We uncovered so much historical information on Kenneth and his unit, the 743rd Tank Battalion and with a lot of research we were able to locate the place the tank-on-tank battle occurred which took his life in Wurselen, Germany. He was only 19 years old. His remains were never recovered and returned home despite the best efforts of his mom, Annie Miller. We are continuing her search through the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. This agency has classified the search for Kenneth’s remains as an “Active Pursuit”.

Left to right, my mom (Joan E. Gosse), William Miller, Paul Miller, and Kenneth E. Miller.

My son and I have been so deeply moved by Kenneth’s and his mom Annie’s WWII story, as well as the stories of all who served in World War II, that we planned and took a two-week World War II, 1800-mile driving tour of Europe this past September. Our tour included visits to 6 ABMC cemeteries and many historic WWII sites from Paris, France to Normandy, France to Belgium to The Netherlands to Luxembourg to Germany and finally to Austria. It was an unbelievable experience. We have many pictures and stories we’d like to share with the citizens of Medford, MA. This includes a visit to Pvt. Kenneth E. Miller’s memorial on the Wall of the Missing in Margraten, The Netherlands and, with our German guide, a visit to the actual open corn field location in Wurselen, Germany where the tank-on-tank battle took place and Kenneth’s tank was destroyed and he was killed.

Pvt. Kenneth E. Miller’s name on the Wall of the Missing in Margraten, The Netherlands along with flowers, flags, and his picture all brought by his Dutch adopter and a message we brought to him from all current and former residents of Medford, MA

At Margraten, we met the Dutch adopter of Kenneth’s name on the Wall of the Missing. Yes, Dutch adopter! Most Americans do not know that every grave and every memorial at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten has been adopted and cared for by a Dutch citizen since 1945. They truly appreciate and remember the sacrifices made by their “liberator soldiers” for their freedom. Freedom that they once lost and was then given back to them by American soldiers, kids. To this day they do not forget! They regularly visit and place flowers at the graves/memorials. They even undertook a program called “The Faces of Margraten” where the worked to put a face with every grave and every name on the Wall of the Missing. They even published a book by the same name. Check out the Netherlands American Cemetery online at: https://www.abmc.gov/Netherlands and the Adoption Program on line at: https://www.adoptiegraven–margraten.nl. Click on the flag ofthe USA in the upper right ofthe home page to see the English version of the adoption site.

Myself after signing a flag in a Belgian Museum being built to honor the soldiers of the 30th Infantry Division and the attached 743rd Tank Battalion who liberated the town the museum is being built in. I was asked to sign the flag in honor of Pvt. Kenneth E. Miller and I was honored to do so on behalf of the Miller family.

With all of this in mind, I am looking forward to making a multimedia presentation to the Medford Historical Commission, Veterans Association, and interested citizens of Medford, MA to share these experiences with as many as possible and to possibly reach whomever from the Miller family may still live in or near Medford, MA. We believe our once in a lifetime experiences are only meaningful if we share them with others. I am working now to prepare this multimedia presentation to include pictures and video. I plan to make similar presentations in Reading, MA and my current hometown Hamilton, MA in the April timeframe.

Most especially, we want to make sure the words on the sign we put at the Wall of the Missing in Margraten are true, namely: “The people of Medford, MA USA … Know You Are Here!! …

Remember Your Sacrifice!! … And Eternally Thank You!!”

Be sure to be on the lookout for information regarding this presentation very soon!

Thomas Brooks Park: An Update!

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If you drive down Grove Street, you may have noticed that work is underway at Thomas Brooks Park. There are two separate projects that are being completed by two different preservation professionals. Work is entirely funded by the City of Medford’s Community Preservation Committee and we thank them for their support.

Pomp’s Wall Restoration:

Masonry expert Richard McGrath of Lunenburg recently removed the capstones of the eighteenth century brick wall. This is the first step for conservation work. It revealed what we expected – extensive deterioration to the inside of the wall structure that must be repaired. This element is of special importance to Medford. It is one of two extant reminders of slavery. The bricks were assembled by Pompeii, a slave owned by Thomas Brooks. Pompeii and several other African Americans lived on the land that is now Thomas Brooks Park. The site was a gift to the City from the Brooks family with the stipulation that we forever care for wall then known as “The Old Slave Wall.”

Field Stone Wall Restoration:

Mark Neves of M. Neves, Inc. is responsible for the restoration of the granite field stone wall along the remainder of Grove Street. The wall was constructed in two different phases. The northern end is an eighteenth century feature, while the southern end is nineteenth century. The wall will be repaired to its historic height, and new openings placed at regular intervals opposite intersections. The intent is to make the park safer by directing users to locations where crosswalks would be found (for example, at street intersections). To facilitate work, a team of tree care specialists came through to remove dead or invasive vegetation within five feet of the backside of the wall. This has exposed many of the historic trees, that will remain. By removing some of the invasive, it will encourage the existing mature trees to grow. We are the stewards of these century old landmarks and we want nothing more than for them to thrive.

Work will continue over the next several months so stay tuned for additional updates!

February Meeting Materials

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Enclosed in this post are the two Massachusetts Historical Commission inventory forms for buildings that will be discussed this evening.

28 Grove Street – MHC Form BDownload
91 Winchester Street – MHC Form BDownload

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!

November Meeting Materials

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The Medford Historical Commission will host a public meeting on Monday, November 14, 2022. The agenda is enclosed for those who want to follow along. The meeting is via Zoom, or it is sometimes broadcast on Medford Community Media. A recording is also available a day or two following so you can watch this and past meetings in the archive hosted on their website.

November Meeting AgendaDownload

There are two buildings which will be reviewed for significance. The first is 31 South Street, a nineteenth century residential duplex that is slated to be altered beyond recognition. The second is 180 Lincoln Road which will be totally demolished and new building replacing the existing at a later time. The Commission will use the enclosed inventory forms to base their opinions.

31 South Street – MHC Form BDownload
180 Lincoln Road – MHC Form BDownload

The remainder of the meeting will be dedicated to project updates. As always, we welcome community participation. If you have any questions, please email us anytime!

October Meeting Materials

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The Medford Historical Commission will hold its October meeting on Monday, October 17 at 7PM via Zoom. Our agenda has been posted to our website but you can also find it here:

October 17, 2022 Meeting AgendaDownload

The Commission will receive two applications. The first is for a residential dwelling at 31 South Street, which is slated to be altered beyond recognition and is therefore subject to the demolition delay review. The second is a total demolition for the building located at 180 Lincoln Road in Medford.

The Commission will then move forward with a determination of significance for 8 Hamlin Avenue. This building appears to be a late 19th century house that was altered following a major fire. It’s present appearance is more in line with the other 20th century buildings in East Medford.

8 Hamlin Avenue MHC Inventory FormDownload

As a reminder, you can learn all about our demolition delay process on our page here and in our application package. The public is always welcome to engage in the process. We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

October Hearing Materials

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The Medford Historical Commission will hold a public hearing on the demolition of 16 Foster Court to determine if the demolition is detrimental to the historical, architectural, or cultural resources of the City of Medford. The meeting agenda and related materials are included below. Hope to see you there!

16 Foster Court, an early nineteenth century cape. This resource is one a handful of early buildings in East Medford.
October 3, 2022 Special Meeting AgendaDownload
16 Foster Court Determination of SignificanceDownload
16 Foster Court MHC Form BDownload

June Meeting Materials

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We have a packed meeting coming up. Here are the materials for the general public to read so you can follow along with the discussions:

130 Boston Avenue as seen from the sidewalk.

130 Boston Avenue: We will be determining the preferably preserved status of this late nineteenth century Queen Anne Victorian. You can read all about the home’s history in the MHC form B. This state level inventory form is the standard for all our determinations and is generally used for every building reviewed under the demolition delay ordinance.

130 Boston Avenue – MHC Form B

At our last meeting, we also voted to add additional contextual information for this and the other property along Boston Avenue up for review. Those forms are included here:

124 Boston Avenue – MHC Form BDownload
128 Boston Avenue – MHC Form BDownload
132 Boston Avenue – MHC Form BDownload
138 Boston Avenue – MHC Form BDownload

We will be receiving demolition applications for the following properties:

  • 10/12 Newcomb Street
  • 43 Wright Avenue
  • 85 Fern Road
  • 50 Winthrop Street
  • 2-4 Capen Street
  • 80 Canal Street

Following acceptance of these applications, we will proceed with determinations of significance. A building can be found significant for a number of reasons. Straight from the bylaw, a building is significant either because:

(1) Has been listed in or is the subject of a pending application for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; or

(2) Has been listed in the Massachusetts Register of Historic Places; or

(3)Was built within 75 years or older and which is determined by the commission to be a significant building as provided by subsection 48-78(d) either because:

a. It is importantly associated with one or more historic persons or events, or with the broad architectural, cultural, political, economic, or social history of the city or the commonwealth; or

b. It is historically or architecturally important in terms of period, style, method of building construction, or association with an important architect or builder, either by itself or in the context of a group of buildings.

The following buildings are up for review:

20 Otis Street: The applicants have proposed to demolish the adjacent carriage house. Their dwelling is a late nineteenth century Victorian situated in East Medford. This particular area is home to high concentrations of priority buildings.

20 Otis Street – MHC Form BDownload

76 Sharon Street: Another unique West Medford Victorian, this house is slated to be altered beyond recognition. The Commission will review the partial demolition and determine if the building meets the criteria for significance.

The interior of 76 Sharon Street in West Medford from Redfin.
76 Sharon Street – MHC Form BDownload

136 Boston Avenue: This property has been halted by the building commissioner for failure to complete review under the demolition delay ordinance. The building is being reviewed after demolition has taken place to determine if the remaining integrity warrants additional review.

136 Boston Avenue – MHC Form BDownload

4054 Mystic Valley Parkway: The applicants of this building are proposing total demolition to make way for new lab and office space.

4054 Mystic Valley Parkway – MHC Form BDownload

The Commission provided comments on this project as part of ongoing site plan review. As part of this, we were deeply concerned that the plan does not take into account the impacts to the adjacent parkway, nor the adjacent art decco building at 4068 Mystic Valley Parkway. You can see that form below:

4068 Mystic Valley Parkway – MHC Form BDownload

There are a few projects currently under delay which we will take up discussion for release:

  • 17 Edwards Street – The Commission has completed documentation of this building and is ready to release the delay.
  • 78 Cotting Street – The Commission subcommittee presented the proposed design which mitigates demolition to this important early nineteenth century resource. The Commission will debate lifting the delay this evening. Please see prior months for the architectural plans, which have been posted for a month.

The Commission will share plans for 69 Jerome and post them up here once the subcommittee has completed review of final tweaks by the homeowner.

There are new developments at 15 Hadley Place, which apparently no longer calls for demolition of the existing structure. The Commission will review the changed scope of work.

Beyond the above, we will provide updates to all the great projects which are happening in the City! These are exciting times! We hope to see you this evening!

Volunteers Wanted for Archaeological Dig!

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Channel Your Inner Indiana Jones!

The Medford Historical Commission is seeking 20 volunteers to participate in an archeological dig at Thomas Brooks Park.

Participants must be a minimum of 18 years old and be available during the week of June 6th, with potential spillover into the week of June 13th. Participants will work 1 full day, Monday-Friday from 8am-4pm with a 30 minute lunch break. All volunteers must participate in a 1 hour orientation on the morning of Day 1.

If there are more than 20 volunteers, a lottery drawing will be held and participants will be assigned a day. If you are unable to work your assigned day, another volunteer will be chosen.

Digging will take place during inclement weather. Volunteers do not need to bring any equipment but must wear close-toed boots/shoes with good ankle support. Flip flops are not allowed. Participants are welcome to bring their own gardening gloves and/or knee pads. Volunteers must provide their own lunch and water.

If you are interested, please email the Medford Historical Commission at historicalcommission@medford-ma.gov.