Category Archives: Historic Preservation

Historic preservation, Newburyport, MA, preserving, conserving and protecting buildings, objects, landscapes and street-scapes of historical significance in Newburyport, Massachusetts

Nostalgic Historic Newburyport Gardens

The photographs of historic Newburyport Garden plans and photographs of historic Newburyport gardens, stir up both a deep sense of nostalgia for something that beautiful, that cared for and that loved, as well as a certain practical impatience, that it could be very difficult, short of being part of a museum or a full time gardener, to have such a wondrous oasis in the year 2007.

Anyway, here are two more photographs that I discovered that are in the public domain. One is a photograph of an historic garden and one is of an historic garden plan.

Enjoy.

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89-91 High Street, Garden

Courtesy of the Newburyport Archival Center
at the Newburyport Public Library

Mosley_garden_plan.jpg
Old Mosely Garden, plan of garden,
182 High Street, Newburyport, MA

Estate of Col. Ebenezer Mosely

Courtesy of the Library of Congress
The Frances Loeb Library
Graduate School of Design
Harvard University

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Historic Gardens, Newburyport

My practical and down to earth friend, who loves historic gardens, wrote me an email concerning the previous post.

As a professional Landscape Designer she did take a class in historic preservation and to quote my friend, “There are tons of good questions, and not nearly as many good answers,” (about how to integrate an historic garden into the lives of people in the 21st Century.)

Oh, well. But not entirely surprising.

Because these photographs are so delightful, I thought I would put them on the Newburyport Blog for readers to enjoy on this Newburyport New England summer day.

Brockaway_Garden.jpg
Brockway Estate, Garden
83-85 High Street, Newburyport, MA

Courtesy of the Library of Congress
The Frances Loeb Library
Graduate School of Design,
Harvard University

Garden_77_High_Street.jpg
Abraham Wheelwright House & Garden,
77 High Street, Newburyport, Essex County, MA

Courtesy of the Library of Congress,
Prints and Photograph Division,
Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Historic American Buildings Survey
Frank O. Branzetti, Photographer
Aug. 14, 1940
View of Garden, Looking East

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport’s Historic Gardens and the 21st Century

I went and talked to a delightful friend of mine who loves and appreciates historic gardens and who is very down to earth, to get a reality check.

The subject was/is how to live with historic preservation, only this time outside.

As I said in an earlier post, I went on a hunt for historic garden photos and historic garden designs in Newburyport, MA.

And one of the things that struck me, was that it would be A) very expensive to maintain these gardens in the year 2007 and B) like so many other things, life has changed, and the gardens might not fit in with the life style of your average family in the 21 st Century.

As my friend (again, who loves historic gardens) pointed out that kitchens are different now, bathrooms are different now, and houses have open concepts and people just plain live differently.

So I would think that one of the issues that a family might think about, if they were thoughtful, and bought an historic home, that had an historic garden, would be how does one integrate an historic landscape with lets say a family with young children and a dog?

I am quite sure that there are PhD programs (there have got to be) that address this issue, so I feel a little foolish contemplating this question on the Newburyport Blog.

But, here are two photos. One is an historic garden and one is an historic garden plan. And I ask myself how a family of four with let’s say 2 dogs, would think about being stewards of such a property and also play and enjoy their backyard?

Molton-garden-sm.jpg
Joseph Moulton House & Garden

Courtesy of the Library of Congress,
Prints and Photograph Division, Washington, D.C.
Historic American Buildings Survey
Frank O. Branzetti, Photographer Oct. 29, 1940

Please press here for larger photo

Garden_plan_sm.jpg
Newburyport Gardens, Plan, Newburyport, MA

Courtesy of the Frances Loeb Library
Graduate School of Design, Harvard University.
Library of Congress
Prints and Photograph Division
Washington, D.C.

Please press here for larger photo

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Memory and Newburyport’s Historic Gardens

I started thinking about “memory” (see earlier entry) again and what it means to a sense of place and historic preservation, because I started to think about historic gardens, mainly along High Street, how beautiful they are, but whether or not they make sense in day to day living in the year 2007.

All of this came into my head as I watched the work on 87 High Street take place.

Again, when is it appropriate to impinge on the past, and when is it appropriate to preserve it? And again, for me, there is often no easy answer.

And historic High Street gardens are not exactly a new topic.

“Gardens of the New Republic: Fashioning the Landscapes of High Street, Newburyport, Massachusett” is all about the significance of gardens in Newburyport, MA. The book is available at the Newburyport library and bookstores. It can also be obtained through the website historicgardensofnewburyport.org.

And in 2006 Preservation Massachusetts named the Wheelwright Gardens as one of Massachusetts’ “10 Most Endangered Resources.”

This is from the Newburyport Current , Tuesday, September 26, 2006, by Ulrika Gerth:

“The fact that this extremely rare Federal style garden has remained intact for over 120 years is amazing,” said Jim Igoe, president of Preservation Massachusetts. “This horticultural gem shares the same historic significance as the main house on this property and should benefit from the same type of protection granted to it.”

All of this had me scurrying to find old photographs and garden plans of gardens in Newburyport, MA to share with readers of the Newburyport Blog.

This is a an old photograph of the Wheelwright Garden at 75 High Street.

And I’ve been told, and I haven’t verified this, that there is a replica of Old South Church at the top of that wonderful wooden structure at the end of the garden.

Whelwright_Garden.jpg
The Garden at 75 High Street,
The Wheelwright House,
Courtesy of the Newburyport Archival Center
at the Newburyport Public Library

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, The Significance of Memory and Place

Memories.

“There can be no significance without memory…And if memory is necessary for significance, it is also necessary for both meaning and value. Without memory nothing has significance, nothing has meaning, nothing has value…

The city tells it own past, transfers its own memory…and it is memory that makes places significant.”

© Donovan D. Rypkema, 2007, PlaceEconomics

When I moved here in 1981 and bought an old home I had no clue about the culture of Newburyport, MA. And it took me years to understand the ethos of Newburyport, Massachusetts. I was young, and it didn’t enter my head that comprehending the small New England city that I had instantly fallen in love with, would be a worthwhile, if not an essential thing to do.

I am reminding myself of this fact now, as I see new folks come into town and immediately start making either physical changes to the city, as in major alterations to an historic home; or by deciding to run for a major political office immediately, or wanting to make major political changes (and then being surprised when it doesn’t work).

I do remember, however, that when I had the privilege of buying that wonderful old house back in 1981, that the memories of the previous owners were so strong, that I wanted to sweep out the cobwebs and add my own memories to the house right away.

And one of the things that I was struck by, when I was given the tour of 87 High Street (see earlier entries), was the sense that the old memories had been left intact, but it was as if the cobwebs had been cleaned out and the house was being filled full of light and aired out.

And all of that has me thinking about, of all things, yes, historic preservation in Newburyport, MA. There seems to be the gamut in town from keeping things exactly as they were, to keeping some things and combining the old with contemporary elements.

So, guess what? For this blogger, even historic preservation has entered that “grey area.”

However, I haven’t quite figured out where the line is. Where the line is for me, which when it is crossed, completely destroys, discounts, disregards the “memories” of this historic small seaport New England city.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Tour of 87 High Street

First of all the frogs are furious with me. First they threatened to leave (go ahead, leave guys, there are other frogs out there, believe you me, how about 1000’s). Then they threatened to unionize (like that’s really going to work). And then they were hurling themselves against the door (I mean it was really over the top) trying to get out to go with me when I was leaving.

Such drama at the Newburyport Blog. Wow.

Second of all, I have a wild suggestion. If a reader of the Newburyport Blog finds a post where they might be discussed- pleasantness works so much better than, for example, an offensive phone call threatening to sue the editor of the Newburyport Blog, moi, for who knows what. Really.

Third of all, preservationists out there, relax. It’s Ok.

I got a very nice email, much to my complete surprise, from Peter and Leslie Tolan inviting me to take a tour of 87 High Street (see earlier posts).

And, I am very jealous of, among other things, the gorgeous original staircase, and the huge original fireplace, which is in the dining room. Yes, serious High Street envy for this Newburyport Blogger.

And they were nice people too, with nice kids. And they’ve been walking among us undetected for quite a while. So, boo.

Ok, there will be or already is a “magical hedge” (see earlier entry). But family in town and our gorgeous small seaport city appear to be the reason for buying the house.

And I didn’t get the sense that vast streams of Hollywood folks were following in their wake (whew). I could be a total pushover (being nice to the editor of the Newburyport Blog could do that), and maybe I’m wrong and my radar could be out of wack. But the owners of 87 High Street passed the Mary Baker Eaton, Newburyport Blog inquirization.

So welcome to the neighborhood and welcome to Newburyport, Massachusetts.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Hollywood Comes to Town

Boy oh boy, are the frogs ever excited, jumping up and rolling all over the place.

George Cushing of Frog Pond at the Bartlet Mall, the political consultant to the Newburyport Blog is giving the Newburyport Current the big “thumbs-up.”

george_thumbs-up.jpg
George Cushing giving
the Newburyport Current the “thumbs-up”

Yes, someone has connected the dots about the revamping of 87 High Street and what this could mean for Newburyport, Massachusetts.

To quote from the Newburyport Current, July 20, 2007, Undercurrents by Donna O’Neil:

“We can see it now, a bus rolls through town offering stops at the homes of Hollywood celebs–Newburyport locations, The guide armed with a megaphone that can be heard for miles squawks, ‘First stop 87 High Street…’

What other celebrities will find our hidden gem…”

Any number of readers of the Newburyport Blog have asked me, “Newburyport has had famous people who have lived here before or live here now, what’s wrong with having Peter Tolan in Newburyport, Massachusetts?”

This is what yours truly does not want. The editor of the Newburyport Blog does not want “revamping” of historic properties in Newburyport, MA (especially on Historic High Street, good grief) by folks who are only going to use the place for brief visits.

The “revamping” of 87 High Street in its present form would raise a few eyebrows anyway. But the fact that the folks who are using such a visible and significant home for a “second residence” is of concern to this blogger.

It could mean that the buyers might NOT become an intricate part of the community (they are probably involved in their home town Montecito CA, already, the city listed on salemdeeds.com as their primary residence).

Very possibly there could be little or no community involvement (aside from paying tons of taxes, which we as residents would applaud). Possibly not having the time to understand the community, its culture and its needs.

Would “second resident” owners of with money of this magnitude become involved in local projects?? Use local banks?? (They didn’t for the mortgage -salemdeeds.com)

It feels a little bit like having a “residential” chain store. Looks flashy, but might not return much to the community in terms of human commitment and local moola.

So “thank you” Newburyport Current and Donna O’Neil. And hopefully it could never get to the point where there would be celebrity tour buses and bull horns in Newburyport, MA.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

87 High Street Newburyport, Wow

The “Twins” are going nuts on me. They are so ridiculously excited that we have a “celebrity,” a real live Hollywood celebrity, celebrity who has bought 87 High Street.

As the Twins pointed out to me, if they (the celebrities) wanted to lay low and not be noticed they wouldn’t be doing all that “stuff” to 87 High Street, High Street being the historic and much beloved (and highly visible) gateway to Newburyport, MA.

Well, no the Twins are NOT going to go beyond their apprenticeship status at the Newburyport Blog, I mean really, just look at the twerpy little things. I mean I have an image to protect here, geesh.

twins.jpg
The Twins

However… The twins appear to be better than moi at researching Hollywood celebrities that are buying a Newburyport, High Street home.

They found out that the gentleman in question went to UMass Amherst, and they went and looked up alumni magazines, and low and behold these silly little frogs found an interview with the gentleman, in the Winter 2000 issue. Wow. (I got to secretly admit, not bad.)

The article was by Ali Crolius, in a section called “La Stories, Catching up with the sunset kids”.

The gentleman and lady “had just moved to a 1912 Pasadena mansion so grand it had been used for exterior shots in Dynasty…”

While waiting the writer “stood in the immense kitchen drinking coffee with the nanny, coo-chooing with Beatrice, Peter’s and Leslie’s youngest, and employing visualization techniques to halt the rain so I could see the Hockneyesque gardens in sunlight.”

Well, folks, I think the “Twins” have discovered or confirmed that the new owners of 87 High Street have more money than most of us here in Newburyport, MA could possibly fathom.

From what I can make out they have either moved on from Pasadena, or bought another mansion further up the coast. Maybe I’ll get the twins to research that one too, since they are so wide-eyed celebrity goofy.

What the Twins and I figure is that a High Street mansion must look like a bargain basement deal, compared to the mansion where Dynasty was filmed.

And this is what we are wondering. There aren’t exactly a lot of other Hollywood celebrity types hanging around Newburyport, MA. Are these folks going to tell their friends about us (ie. Newburyport, Massachusetts)?

And lots of preservationists (and even some maybe un-preservationists) all over our fair seaport city are NOT happy with how 87 High Street has been revamped. Is this a vast understatement or what? So what does this say about the potential upcoming stewardship of possible beloved properties in Newburyport, Massachusetts?

From charmingly historic to Hollywood flashy?? A possibility? Good grief.

(And folks, we have NO protection. Guess what, there is NO Local Historic District… Oh, ye of ongoing hesitation, you might want to rethink this one, like having a Local Historic District might actually be a good thing.)

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, MA, Decorated Down to the Pets

Ok, I’m still on the subject of 87 High Street.

In the Newburyport Planning Board minutes, May 2, 2007, there is mention of a “hedge that had to be removed because of excavation” that “will be replaced and will also be extended further along property than it did originally.”

Which reminds me of a story I haven’t thought about for a long, long time.

Many years ago two delightful gentleman gave me a (art/painting) one person show in the “Hamptons.”

Since I knew nothing about the Hamptons and they knew a whole lot, they drove me around, showing me “the sights.” “The sights” consisted of homes owned by celebrities that used the Hamptons as a second (or third or fourth or whatever) home.

One of the homes that was pointed out to me was owned, I believe, by a film producer.

We drove by the newly acquired home by the gentleman in question. And the second day it had a huge 16 foot hedge, swarming with folks pruning it, which was NOT there the day before.

So, I said, “say what?” And these two lovely gentleman explained to me that this happened in the Hamptons. In fact, as I recall, they said a house and a guest house could be completely furnished by professionals without input from the owners. Everything, right down to the pets.

The pets??

So the owners could just walk right in and feel at home and not even have to think about it.

The pets??

So when it comes to the hedge at 87 High Street that will be “replaced” and “extended,” I’m wondering if it will be replaced by a small hedge that grows, or would it be replaced by one of these 16 foot hedges that I saw, lo those many years ago, that magically appears in one day.

How the hedge is replaced, I imagine, would tell us all quite a bit. Like whether or not this place could be furnished right down to the pets.

And believe you me, for this Newburyport blogger, the fact that that possibility could even remotely exist in Newburyport, Massachusetts is really, really beyond way weirder than fiction.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Trying to Research 87 High Street, Newburyport, MA

Some very astute readers of the Newburyport Blog sent me in some information on the new owners of 87 High Street, the house/mansion that I got nosy about and then went for a snoop. (See earlier entry.)

I went back and took a look at the Newburyport Planning Board minutes to make sure that yes indeed, these were the same folks.

And I thought, yippee, is this ever going to be fun to research. Forget about researching zoning stuff, I can research a California gentleman who is a producer, writer and director and whose wife is no slouch either, an independent TV producer and editor, I think. Wow.

Plus the gentleman in question co-produces a show with Denis Leary. Now forget about the “easy on the eyes” stuff (see previous post), Denis Leary is “hot,” often literally smok’n hot.

However… let’s just say that researching these folks made Stephen Karp look available. Researching these folks was like excavating slabs of granite with a plastic spoon (sort of alliterates with Peter Tolan or maybe doesn’t alliterate with Peter Tolan, I don’t know). Ok, so you get to scrap away a little dust, but that’s it.

Salemdeeds.com did give me an address in California. So having Googled myself half to death on these folks and getting nowhere, I decided, let’s find out about the town that they list as their primary residence.

Answers.com and Wikepedia.org call this place in California one of the wealthiest communities in the United States.

Epondunk.com says that in 2002 it was ranked No. 3 in Worth magazine’s list of 250 Richest Towns.

According to the Answers.com folks like Oprah Winfrey, Kevin Costner, Steve Martin and even Steven Spielberg, dwell in this community, just to name a few.

Before I started my research, I was thinking real seriously of calling up this family up and saying, “Hi, I’m Mary Eaton from the Newburyport Blog, why in the world did you pick us?” Not a hope of a phone number anywhere, much less, if I found one, getting through what I’m sure is the wall of people to protect our new neighbors from everyone who would like a “piece” of these folks.

I was going to say that Peter McClelland’s piece was pretty unwelcoming to the new owners of 87 High Street. I thought it was unwelcoming, didn’t you think it was unwelcoming?

I was also concerned that people in New England could be somewhat taciturn and careful about their acquaintances. Not often a group to run over with cookies and casseroles.

But I have a feeling that the new owners of 87 High Street might be happy that no one would run over with cookies and casseroles when they come for a visit. I have a feeling that the cookies and casserole thing, with this sort of moola, could kind of take care of itself.

This is really a whole new breed of buyer for Newburyport, Massachusetts.

And is this the beginning of a trend? Good grief, what if we become the New England version of the “Hamptons?” I’m not kidding here.

This makes the folks that bought homes in Newburyport, MA starting around 2002, and at the height of the current market look impoverished, not to mention the rest of us lowly peons.

I came away from researching these folks not with a smile on my face, but with a migraine headache. Zoning research ended up looking very soothing and relaxing. Who knew.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, High Street Reconstruction

Enough with the “peccadillo” stuff. I’m sick of the “political peccadillo” stuff. Good grief.

A few days ago I got just good old fashion nosy, and I went up and snooped around 87 High Street. The house/mansion across from Fruit Street and the Newbury Historical Society, where they seem to have been doing all kinds of stuff, like it seems for a gazillion years. It’s real hard to miss.

The folks that bought it paid a good chunk of change (I’ve learned my lesson on the Newburyport Blog, no names, and if anyone wants to know the actual selling price they could go look it up themselves on salemdeeds.com). According to the Planning Board minutes, May 2, 2007 these folks are from California, and this “dwelling” is going to be their second residence.

Wow. Are we talking major moola here or what?

From what I can make out they want to make the carriage house into a “guest house,” which presents a bunch of zoning issue stuff. I can’t tell if the zoning issue stuff has been resolved, but the carriage house appears to be literally hanging around the place, unanchored, so the zoning stuff hasn’t been sufficiently addressed yet, or they just haven’t gotten around to gussying the guesthouse up.

There is new pool way back behind, so you could barely see it, if at all, from the house, I was told. And no darn it, they wouldn’t let me back there for a peek. Nuts.

It looks like they kept the front of the historic High Street house intact, but who knows, they wouldn’t let me in there either. I had no hard hat, and who the heck knew who I was, except some snoopy person.

And from the outside, the long addition in the back, looked new, but awesome to me.

And what can I say, the place was slightly, dare I say it, “flashy.” Not New England Yankee we really don’t have money, but actually we do have money, but, no, we don’t have money. This is, we’ve got bucks and we are proud.

So California, so not New England.

Let me tell you, I had High Street envy, which almost never happens. I’m telling you the truth here.

But, if these folks live in California and are using it as a place to visit, I’m raising my hand here to volunteer to house-sit during those long, cold New England winters, when any California person would want to be in California.

And, no, if the guesthouse gets done, I don’t want to house-sit in the guest house, I want to house-sit in the BIG place.

And these folks have to pay real estate tax, right, which has got to be huge. Has to help our coffers a whole lot.

I’m probably pissing off all sorts of preservationists, and acquiring yet more peccadilloes. And maybe when I learn the “back story,” I’ll be New England horrified.

But this looks like a whole new level of real estate purchasing for Newburyport, MA to moi. And if they let me house-sit, I wonder if I’d get to stay in the master suite.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Joppa, Simmons Beach

Joppa_Landing.jpg
Joppa Landing, Newburyport, MA
From a c. 1906 postcard
Simmons Beach is South of Joppa Landing

I’m really glad to eat my hat on this one.

I was a little skeptical when Larry McCavitt was elected in the special election in the Fall of 2006, for Ward 1 Newburyport City Councilor. But Mr. McCavitt has proven to be a really, really good Newburyport City Councilor.

Yeh.

I like the way Mr. McCavitt votes on issues on the Newburyport City Council floor and I like the way Mr. McCavitt cares about and represents his constituency.

And I really like the fact he is not giving up in his quest to make Simmons Beach an asset for Ward 1 and the city of Newburyport, MA, even though the project was not awarded any money from the Community Preservation Fund. (Newburyport Daily News, June 25, 2007)

Simmons Beach has always been one of my favorite hidden treasures in Newburyport, MA. I smile every time I walk past it.

I can always imagine the kids that have played on that small, delightful sliver of beach, tucked away on the mouth of the Merrimac River, cooling off on a hot, New England summer’s day.

Simmons Beach is located on Water Street in Newburyport’s South End on the way to Plum Island, next to the old clam shack, along the way to where Water Street meets Union Street.

And Councilor McCavitt is hoping to restore it for the “Joppa” neighborhood by putting an historic marker, plantings and benches. I think it’s a very cool idea.

Congrats to Newburyport City Councilor Larry McCavitt.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Fate of the Kelly School Building

Sorry folks, as far as I’m concerned Mayor John Moak appears to be learning on the job.

(But could this be taken as an endorsement of Mayor Moak by moi for the mayoral candidate for election 2007? No.)

The Kelly School building. A great emotional trigger for lots and lots of folks in Newburyport, MA. What do you do with it?

Mayor John Moak is forming a committee to help the Newburyport City Council make that incredibly difficult decision.

The make-up of the committee is not unlike the make-up of something like the Newburyport Local Historic District Study Committee.

So far the appointments have been Newburyport City Councilor James Shanley. Mr. Shanley is the chair of the Newburyport City Council Planning and Development Committee, and the Kelly School building is also in Mr. Shanley’s ward, Ward 3. James Shanley has always struck me as being a very thoughtful Newburyport City Councilor, so in my book, that’s a real good choice.

Newburyport Planning Director, Nancy Colbert is also on the committee. And Mayor John Moak also plans to include a local real estate agent, a parent of a former Kelly School student, as well as a member of the Newburyport Historical Commission. (Newburyport Daily News, June 26, 2007)

As far as I’m concerned, the fate of the Newburyport Kelly School Building is kind of a yikes, wisdom of Solomon thing. And this seems to be a very wise approach to an incredibly difficult community decision.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Local Historic District Study Committee

One of my favorite scenes in the movie “Chicago” is towards the end of the film where Richard Gere is in court, his client “Roxie” is in trouble, and he does this incredible, frenetic tap dance, literally, and to get his client free.

That’s a little bit of how I feel about where we as a city are with the issue of the Local Historic District.

Monday night, June 11, 2007 the Newburyport City Council passed on the first reading the members (including soon to be ex-Newburyport Planning Board member, Doug Locy) appointed by Mayor John Moak, to the Local Historic District study group.

Tapetty, tap, tap.

Whew. Now, the final reading to get through.

Tap, tap.

And there are blasts by “property rights owner” advocates against having their property rights violated.

Tapety, tap, tap, tap.

The Local Historic District study group is just the beginning of a long process towards exploring whether or not to have some, part or parts of Newburyport, MA be designated a Local Historic District.

Tap.

The process of all of this, including who goes on the study group (an architect and a realtor at least) is set in stone by the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This is no fly by night process.

Tapety, tap, tap, tap.

To property rights advocates. Get over it.

Tap.

You live in one of the most historically significant small cities in the US of A.

Tap.

The National Architectural Trust has said that Newburyport, MA has lost one third of its historic assets since 1984.

Tap, tap.

If you do not want to be a steward of something a whole lot bigger than you are, an historic city, then go somewhere where historic assets are not endangered.

Tap.

So those of us who care about preserving what is left of our town could have the opportunity of being stewards of this amazing place, whether we’ve lived here all our lives or just arrived here, or something in between.

Tappety, tap.

And no, a Local Historic District does not have to be onerous. It could be Local Historic District light. And the people on the Local Historic District study group are all A+ people, who are supper sensitive to how people feel about this issue.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Lead Paint, Historic Preservation

One of the (number of) things that I think has worked so radically, and persistently against historic preservation in Newburyport, MA or in fact anywhere, is the “Lead Paint” law.

I seem to remember a Newburyport developer saying that he would love to bring up his young family in a large house where he was not haunted by the specter of “lead paint.”

No, I am not against the health of young children. No I am not for the abuse of landlords who let their properties decline and expose young children to the hazards of lead paint.

I think, however, that when the law was enacted, only one issue was thought about. What the ramifications might be for historic preservation did not seem to have been on the radar.

And face it, the lead paint laws are pretty spooky for a home owner, or a developer, or a landlord who owns a property built before 1978.

“The Lead Law requires the removal or covering of lead paint hazards in homes built before 1978 where any children under six lives.” “This includes owners of rental property as well as owners living in their own single family home.” “If a child is lead poisoned by lead hazards where the child lives, the owner is legally responsible.” (www.mass.gov)

In 1987 the law was revised. It became mandatory that prospective buyers of residential properties receive notice about the lead paint law. It also became mandatory that doctors give blood tests to screen children for lead.

According to The National Architectural Trust, Newburyport, MA has lost one third of our historic properties since 1984.

Could there be a correlation? I’ve always thought so.

Let’s say if lead paint was not a hazard, would we see so much of the whole sale stripping of the interior and exterior of historic homes, or for that matter a gut instinct to go for demolition over preservation.

Why go through an expensive deleading process, when it is easier to take out the offending pieces of wood and replace them with features that carry no possibility of litigation?

And we see this all over Newburyport, MA.

Whenever I see a homeowner outside in their backyard stripping an old door, I always want to go up and hug them and say, “thank you so much.”

And one of the things that I really appreciate about the Newburyport Preservation Trust is their emphasis on education. How and why is it so important to preserve those small seemingly unimportant pieces of our historic assets. And what we in Newburyport, MA have seen, is that when put together, those “small” pieces that have been destroyed over the years have become an overwhelming number.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Helping to Save Newburyport’s Historic Assets

In all the hoopla over the special election for the override for our schools, a snippet from the Newburyport Daily News sat in my “research” pile unattended.

Or maybe it was just too depressing to even think about it.

Yes, Todd Freemont-Smith of Wills Lane LLC got the go ahead to develop the back of the Wheelwright property. Mr. Freemont-Smith will be putting in a road and 4 houses on the back of this historic High Street land on Newburyport’s “Ridge.”

The article was in the Newburyport Daily News, May 22, 2007.

Sad stuff.

But there have been some good things happening for historic preservation in Newburyport, MA.

A demolition permit was requested for 6 Calswells Court a c 1800 Georgian period house. The owners, after talking with the Newburyport Historical Commission and the members of the Newburyport Preservation Trust, are now restoring this historic asset. Yeh.

A demolition permit was also sought for the house next to the Methodist Church on Purchase Street. That permit has been withdrawn as well, and the home is also being restored.

Fighting for one historic asset at a time in Newburyport, MA.

Probably neither the house on Purchase Street or the house on Calswells Court would have been saved if it were not for the 12 month Newburyport Demolition Delay.

The Demolition Delay has provided an opportunity to have a dialogue with owners of these two historic properties. And once the value and options were understood, both owners opted for historic preservation.

But we need more in Newburyport to protect our historic assets. A Local Historic District would be themost comprehensive way to protect the city’s architecture and streetscapes.

The city of Newburyport, MA actually has a Local Historic District Study Committee, which is a very big deal for Newburyport, MA.

And there is a fundraiser for the Local Historic District Study Committee being provided by the Newburyport Preservation Trust.

Local Historic District Fundraiser

State-Street.jpg
Market Square c 1906

The fundraiser will be held this Saturday, June 2, 2007, from 4-6 PM at the historic house of one of Newburyport’s most illustrious writers, J.P. Marquand.

For more information please see the Events page of the Newburyport Preservation Trust.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Historic Photographs, 43 Winter Street

One of the most popular things on the Newburyport Blog appears to be the historic photographs of Newburyport. I had one more left that I had found from the Library of Congress, and I thought I would share it with the readers of the Newburyport Blog.

The photograph is of 43 Winter Street c. 1725 that was demolished in 1934 “For Highway Cut-Off,” to make room for what is now Route 1.

The Library of Congress has two wonderful exterior shots.

I not only love the house, but I also love the barn that is to the left of the dwelling in the first photograph below.

43Winter_2.jpg
43 Winter Street
Library of Congress, Prints and Photograph Division. Historic American Buildings Survey, Arthur C. Haskell, Photographer, 1934.

43Winter_1.jpg
43 Winter Street
Library of Congress, Prints and Photograph Division. Historic American Buildings Survey, Arthur C. Haskell, Photographer, 1934.

The Library of Congress has an interior shot of 43 Winter Street as well. It might not make other people’s hearts go pitter-patter, but to me it is amazing. And it is particularly amazing because so many of the interiors of Newburyport’s historic assets are being ripped out without thought.

This interior invokes all kinds of memories for me, and I love it. It would be wonderful if people could be reverent not only of the exterior of our historic assets but of the interior of our historic houses as well.

And again here is this quote by Donovan Rypkema:

“…And if memory is necessary for significance, it is also necessary for both meaning and value. Without memory nothing has significance, nothing has meaning, nothing has value…

The city tells it own past, transfers its own memory, largely through the fabric of the built environment. Historic buildings are the physical manifestation of memory – and it is memory that makes places significant.”
© Donovan D. Rypkema, 2007, PlaceEconomics

43Winter_inside.jpg
Interior, 43 Winter Street
Library of Congress, Prints and Photograph Division. Historic American Buildings Survey, Arthur C. Haskell, Photographer, 1934

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport Preservation Trust and Community

One of the things I really like about the Newburyport Preservation Trust (and whether or not they are consciously doing this or not I do not know), is that they are building a sense of community around the issue of historic preservation.

The opening ceremonies for Preservation Week, sponsored by the Preservation Trust, were held at the old jail which is on Auburn Street, next to Newburyport’s Bartlet Mall, on Saturday morning, May 5, 2007.

Over 120 people attended, old, young, with and without children.

Chuck Griffin gave the tour and a history of the jail. There was a list of all of the prisoners who had been housed in the jail. The jail is also the subject of the oldest known photograph still existing in the US (taken in 1839, two months after the daguerreotype was introduced to the world). Mr. Griffin had examples of the buildings drawings and a petition signed in 1823 by a dozens of Newburyport residents who were in favor of having the jail built in our city. And there were also many tales of the jail itself.

Sarah White, the president of the Newburyport Preservation Trust, told me that a 90-year old woman reported to the Preservation Trust that she had been waiting her whole life to see the jail, but her mother told her, “don’t you go playing by that old jail,” when she was growing up. For years, the old jail was either used for different functions or was privately owned. The lady in question was thrilled to have finally seen it. And apparently many other folks felt the same way – they had always wanted to see the old jail.

The Newburyport Preservation Trust has also managed to unearth a documentary film about Newburyport’s Urban Renewal, made in 1974, right in the midst of the time when Newburyport’s Urban Renewal was taking place.

The film, will be shown Friday, May 11, 2007 at 6PM at the Firehouse Center for the Arts, which is located at Newburyport’s Market Square.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Preservation Week

I’ve been waiting for stories on Preservation Week sponsored by the Newburyport Preservation Trust in our 2 local newspapers, and today there were stories on the front page of both the Newburyport Daily News and the Newburyport Current. Whew!

I especially liked the story in the Newburyport Daily News, May 4, 2007, by Nick Pinto. Some great quotes by Karen Battles the chair and main organizer of Preservation Week, and Sarah White the president of the Newburyport Preservation Trust.

A big “thank you” to Nick Pinto for this quote:

“According to the National Architectural Trust, since the early 1980s Newburyport has lost one-third of its historic structures to demolition or “insensitive alteration” — changes so drastic they negate the historic value of the building.”

And 2 different points made by Sarah White:

” “For many years, the continuity and sense of place in the city’s neighborhoods was preserved by residents whose ties to the city stretched back generations, White said. “These days, though, everyone is so much more transient, and we have a different relationship to our homes and our hometowns. We need to think about how we can return to that sense of stewardship.” ”

White also goes on to say that it is “important that residents begin a citywide conversation about how to balance the city’s modern vitality with its historic foundations.”

The panel discussion this Sunday, May 6th at 3PM at City Hall, “Historic, Green and Profitable,” as aimed at addressing the balance between “modern vitality and historic foundations.”

And I think Ms White is quite right in her observations that Newburyport, like so many places in the United States, is inhabited by a much more “transient” population, especially in the last 25 years. And people often come and put their “stamp” on the city of Newburyport, MA, many times without a full understanding the city’s history and significance, and then move on.

I have great hopes for the Newburyport Preservation Trust. One of my greatest hopes is that they might inspire that sense of “stewardship” to everyone who lives in Newburyport, MA, whether they inhabit our amazing seaside historic city for a short time or for a long time. Wouldn’t that be wonderful.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Value and Preserving Memories

This is taken from a paper that will be read and discussed during Preservation Week, sponsored by the Newburyport Preservation Trust. The discussion will take place:

Sunday May 6, 2007
3:00 PM
Newburyport City Hall

“Finally, I’d ask you to take a moment and think of something significant to you personally. Anything. You may think of your children, or your spouse, or your church, or god, or a favorite piece of art hanging in your living room, or your childhood home, or a personal accomplishment of some type. Now take away your memory. Which of those things are now significant to you? None of them. There can be no significance without memory. Now those same 23 things may still be significant to someone else. But without memory they are not significant to you. And if memory is necessary for significance, it is also necessary for both meaning and value. Without memory nothing has significance, nothing has meaning, nothing has value…

The city tells it own past, transfers its own memory, largely through the fabric of the built environment. Historic buildings are the physical manifestation of memory – and it is memory that makes places significant.”
© Donovan D. Rypkema, 2007, PlaceEconomics

This excerpt from Donovan Rypkema’s speech addresses the question so often asked in Newburyport, MA, “Why not take that old thing down and put up a replica that will sell?”

Because as a city, we are tearing down our historic houses and putting up “replicas” in record number, and by doing so, we are obliterating our “memory,” and we are literally stripping Newburyport, MA of its significance, meaning and value.

Is that what we as a city really want to do??

I had seen a copy of this paper before. It addresses a number other issues as well. The title of the paper is, “Historic, Green and Profitable.”

Newburyport’s Planning Director, Nancy Colbert will be on the panel to make observations, along with David Hall, who has created the Tannery, and a lovely gentleman and an historic preservation expert, Ian Stewart. The discussion, at 3PM on May 6, 2007, at Newburyport City Hall, is open to one and all.

And if you cannot make it, a PDF version of the paper by Donovan D. Rypkema is available on the Newburyport Preservation website, nbptpreservationtrust.org. It can be found on the “Events” link on their website.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport