Demo Application: 16 Foster Court

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This month the Historical Commission received an application for the demolition of a small cape located at 16 Foster Court. Foster Court is a small residential side street located off Riverside Avenue. It was originally a lane to a landing place along the Mystic River. It later became the entrance to one of many important shipyards. The lane is named for Joshua T. Foster who owned the last shipyard to operate in the area.

16 Foster Court

A view of 16 Foster Court from the street.

The house itself is a great example of an early Cape Cod style dwelling. Its early construction date places it among the few early buildings remaining in the community. The development coincides with the rise of shipbuilding in Medford.

The Historical Commission will update this page as the building moves through the review process.

16 Foster Court MHC Form B
Medford Shipbuilding Area Form
Click here for the neighborhood overview for East Medford from the Survey Plan.

Legal Notice for 16 Foster Court
Determination of Significance for City Clerk

Demo Application: 7 Lauriat Place

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The Medford Historical Commission has received an application for the demolition of the building at 7 Lauriat Place located within the Washington Square neighborhood of East Medford.

Early Innovators! Gold Leaf & Hot Air Ballooning

The building at 7 Lauriat Place was a large “gold-beating,” or gold leaf, workshop run by the Lauriat family. Louis Anselm Lauriat was an innovator of the gold leaf craft in Boston in the early 1800s; he also pursued chemical experimentation, and hydrogen aerial ballooning in cities and towns throughout New England, and as far away as Milwaukee, WI and Memphis, TN! His family moved to Medford and established a number of successful gold leaf workshops here – on Ashland St and Riverside Ave (both c. 1880) where they employed more than 40 men and women in the highly skilled technical labor. The last of the Lauriat gold leaf workshops was built on 4 Lauriat Place, in the late 1890s, with a Lauriat family residence next door at 5 Lauriat Place. Medford’s Lauriat Gold Leaf Workshop, at 7 Lauriat Place, continued the craft for another 30 years until the workshop became a printing business. 

gold beating

Image from the pamphlet “The History of Gold Leaf and its Uses” published by the Boston Gold Leaf manufacturer F.W. Rauskalb, in 1915.

Medford’s Lauriat Gold Leaf Workshop has already been recommended for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Buildings by our architectural historians. The Commission will post updates below during the review process.

7 Lauriat Place MHC Form B
Washington Square Area Form
Click here for the neighborhood overview for East Medford

Legal Advertisement for 7 Lauriat Place
Determination of Significance for City Clerk

Agenda for February

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Our next meeting will be Monday, 2/11at 7 PM in City Hall. Here is the full agenda. Properties under discussion include:

  • 417 High Street & 421 High Street – Receive Application for Demolition, Cyril Hughes
  • 17 Florence Avenue – Receive Application for Demolition, Ergys Huta
  • 251 Main Street – update, Rick Welch
  • 109 Forest Street – update, Scot Kenworthy

All are welcome to attend, see you there!

Demo Application: 67 Magoun

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The Medford Historical Commission accepted the application for the demolition of the carriage house and barn at 67 Magoun Avenue. The building, and its associated dwelling house, were once “the Medford Hospital,” a private institution that began in the early twentieth century. The c. 1895 Queen Anne buildings are located within the East Medford neighborhood. They were identified as part of a grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission in 2014.

More info on the property in our Form B.

The building has been determined significant by the Commission. A letter to the clerk has been submitted and can be found here: Clerk’s Letter – 67 Magoun. The legal posting for the meeting can be found here: Legal Posting – 67 Magoun.

Women in Medicine

Dee Morris wrote an excellent article about Abby Rollins, the doctor who operated the Medford Hospital, for the Medford Transcript. The article can be found online or by viewing the PDF file here: Homeopathy and Medford by Dee Morris

[Updated January 2019 – the Commission unanimously voted the building preferably preserved and enacted an 18 month demolition delay, to consider renovation, reuse, relocation and other alternatives to demolition.]

Demo Application: 595 Broadway

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The Medford Historical Commission received a complete application for demolition for 595 Broadway, a residential building on the Somerville-Medford border. Because of its location, the owner must go through the demolition review process in both Medford and Somerville.

The process in Somerville is similar to our own – read more here. And, to see how other neighboring towns and cities – Woburn, Arlington, Winchester –  compare, scroll down to the bottom of our page on the Demolition Review Process.

[Updated November 2018 – The Medford Historical Commission agreed with the decision of the Somerville Historical Commission and found the building to be not historically significant, so no further discussion was necessary, and a demo permit was granted.]

August Determinations

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The Medford Historical Commission has made the following determinations at their August meeting:

77 Cotting St – NOT preferably preserved.

137 Damon Rd – NOT preferably preserved.

368-374 Main St – Preferably preserved, with a demolition delay of up to 18 months.

Thanks to everyone who came out to voice their concerns about three very interesting properties in Medford. Each of these buildings vividly represents the history of its unique Medford neighborhood – be it the 19th C working-class residential boom of Hillside, the grand suburban plans of Lawrence Estates or the homey and bustling streetscape of South Medford’s Little Italy. When these buildings are gone, their loss will be felt. For those who couldn’t make it, here are some details, via the Transcript.

Demolition Notice: 368-374 Main St

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Notice of Public Hearing

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

On Intent to Demolish a Significant Building
As Determined by the Medford Historical Commission

Notice is hereby given to the Public that a Notice of Intent to Demolish a Building has
been submitted to the Medford Historical Commission for the commercial block located
at 368-374 Main Street, Medford, MA. The Medford Historical Commission has
determined that the building meets the criteria of a significant building as defined in
Section 48-77 of the Medford City Ordinance. In accordance with Section 48-78 of the
Medford City Ordinance, the Medford Historical Commission is holding a public hearing
on Monday, August 20, 2018 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of the South Medford
Fire Station, located at Medford and Main Streets, to determine if the demolition of the
building at 368-374 Main Street would be detrimental to the historical, cultural, or
architectural heritage or resources of the City of Medford.

368-374 Main Street:
Main Street MHC Form B
368-374 MainStreet Demolition Application
368-374 Main Street Owner Approval Letter
374 Main Street New Building Plans

Demolition Notice: 137 Damon Rd

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Notice of Public Hearing

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

On Intent to Demolish a Significant Building
As Determined by the Medford Historical Commission

Notice is hereby given to the Public that a Notice of Intent to Demolish a Building has
been submitted to the Medford Historical Commission for the house located at 137
Damon Road, Medford, MA. The Medford Historical Commission has determined that
the building meets the criteria of a significant building as defined in Section 48-77 of the
Medford City Ordinance. In accordance with Section 48-78 of the Medford City
Ordinance, the Medford Historical Commission is holding a public hearing on Monday,
August 20, 2018 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of the South Medford Fire Station,
located at Medford and Main Streets, to determine if the demolition of the building at 137
Damon Road would be detrimental to the historical, cultural, or architectural heritage or
resources of the City of Medford.

137 Damon Road:
137 Damon Road MHC Form B
137 Damon Road Demolition Application

Demolition Notice: 77 Cotting St

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Notice of Public Hearing

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

On Intent to Demolish a Significant Building
As Determined by the Medford Historical Commission

Notice is hereby given to the Public that a Notice of Intent to Demolish a Building has
been submitted to the Medford Historical Commission for the house located at 77 Cotting
Street, Medford, MA. The Medford Historical Commission has determined that the
building meets the criteria of a significant building as defined in Section 48-77 of the
Medford City Ordinance. In accordance with Section 48-78 of the Medford City
Ordinance, the Medford Historical Commission is holding a public hearing on Monday,
August 20, 2018 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of the South Medford Fire Station,
located at Medford and Main Streets, to determine if the demolition of the building at 77
Cotting Street would be detrimental to the historical, cultural, or architectural heritage or resources of the City of Medford.

77 Cotting Street:
77 Cotting Street Demolition Application
77 Cotting Street Site Plan Scan
77 Cotting Street MHC Form B

For additional relevant history see also:
368 Salem St Ephraim Bailey House MHC Form B
78 Cotting Street MHC Form B