Advocacy Issues

Alliance Focuses on Milestones Marking History of American Transportation

2011-08-31T12:51:00.000-07:00

By Haley Wilcox

At the start of the 18^th century, while Massachusetts was under Colonial rule, Parliament took legislative action to survey and improve post roads. This resulted in placing milestones throughout the Commonwealth in the mid-1700s. Ninety-nine rectangular or round-headed monoliths were inserted at mile intervals along Old Post Road (now Route 20), stretching from Boston to Springfield. As the traveler neared Boston, the markers counted down the distance to Boston City Hall.

Of the original ninety-nine stones statewide, forty-seven still stand, including four in Boston.

In 1940, recognizing them for their historic significance, the Works Progress Administration inventoried and described the stones, publishing their findings in Milestones and Markers in Massachusetts. In 1960, the Massachusetts legislature directed the Department of Public Works to preserve the stones. In the 1970s, the stones were added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The stones have seen great changes in the Commonwealth as the communities around them urbanized and country roads were transformed into major thoroughfares. Some stones have been relocated to save them from destruction and protect them from the wear and tear associated with heavily trafficked areas. Several still stand in their original location, including one at 144 Harvard Avenue, in the heart of Allston Village that was recently damaged by a truck.

The stone juts from the sidewalk between a hardware store and grocery store. Over the years it has seen Allston transform from a sleepy part of Cambridge to a thriving, unique neighborhood of Boston (Allston was annexed by the City in 1874). The neighborhood is alive with students, long-term residents, and a diverse population of immigrants.

The stone, just under three feet high, is carved to read “Boston/ 6: miles/ 1729/ PD.” As with most other milestones in Massachusetts, it contains initials which indicate who erected it. In this case, “PD” stands for Chief Justice Paul Dudley, who erected all the stones in Boston. Over the centuries, the stone weathered substantially but was largely intact until the accident severed it at its base. The stone has since has been temporarily reset, and is currently surrounded by a barricade to protect it from further damage. The Boston Preservation Alliance has advocated not only for its repair, but for its long-term protection.

One option that has been considered is the stone's relocation. But while this option would protect the stone from future accidents, removing it from its historical context would rob Allston Village of this humble reminder of its past. Another option under consideration, which has been applied to several milestones in Massachusetts, would be to restore it in place and framed with low walls or fences for protection. The Alliance looks forward to assisting city and state agencies in any way that we can.

Two Fenway Icons Accepted for Further Study as Boston Landmarks

2011-07-07T14:22:00.001-07:00

The Alliance has supported petitions to designate two of the Fenway’s most valued historic buildings—Symphony Hall and Horticultural Hall—as Boston Landmarks. The petitions were submitted by community residents and were accepted for further study by the Boston Landmarks Commission on June 28.

Symphony Hall

Symphony Hall, at 301 Massachusetts Avenue and completed in 1900, is a first of its kind, the product of tedious scientific testing, careful calculation, and collaborative interdisciplinary planning. The influential structure effected the construction of musical venues across the country and internationally.

Built specifically for the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1899-1900, the structure provided a space better fit for the orchestra’s performances. Henry Lee Higginson, the founder of the BSO, helped put together a team of renowned architects, scientists and acoustic specialists to design a cutting edge performance space. Prominent architects McKim, Mead & White, renowned for designs such as the Boston Public Library, the New York Public Library, and the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., joined a team that included Harvard physics professors Wallace Clement Sabine and Charles Robert Cross, both acoustics specialists.

The interior of the hall, down to its pilasters and statues, was designed to produce the highest possible quality acoustic conditions. The statues, coffers and carvings served to break up sound waves, preventing reverberation of echoes into the audience’s listening space. The parallel walls and horizontal ceiling within auditorium enhance the sound of the music. Aside from the technological advances, Symphony Hall also houses a fine collection of artwork and incorporates local materials. The statues the line the auditorium walls were cast by the Boston artist, Pietro Caproni. The structure is laid with Bedford limestone trim, and the base is made from Quincy granite, linking the hall with other buildings throughout the city.

Symphony Hall's significance also stems from its association with world class musical performance and composition. During its fiftieth anniversary season in 1930-31, an astonishing twelve different pieces were commissioned by the house orchestra, some of which have become masterpieces of the century. Roland Hayes, who made his debut with the BSO at Symphony Hall in 1917, became the first African American ever to perform with a symphony orchestra in the country.

Horticultural Hall

The Massachusetts Horticultural Society, founded in 1829, is the oldest society of its kind in the United States. Throughout the centuries, it has greatly affected the landscape of Boston by pioneering the garden cemetery movement in 1831 at Mount Auburn Cemetery, which still stands as a lush and peaceful retreat for the city. The Society also championed the school garden movement in the 1880s, the victory garden movement during World War II, and promoted home gardens to adorn Boston’s back alleys in the 1930s. Aside from these influential movements, the Society has continuously served to educate the public about the local plants and flowers of Massachusetts, holding weekly shows, free and open to the public, at its three headquarters.

Constructed in 1901, Horticultural Hall, at 1154 Boylston Street, was designed by Edmund M. Wheelwright, who also designed several Boston hospitals, schools, the New England Conservatory, the Park Street MBTA head houses, and the Harvard Lampoon Building in Cambridge, and is a beautiful example of turn-of-the-century Renaissance Revival style. Finished one year after the completion of Symphony Hall, the structure was built using materials that complement its neighbor, including the same red brick, Bedford limestone, and Deer Island granite. Horticultural Hall’s detailed ornamentation speaks to its use, including gatherings of fruits and flowers and marble medallions referring to the flower and plant shows that occurred in the hall.

Horticultural Hall is not only an architecturally integral part of the Fenway and Back Bay neighborhoods, but also serves as a monument to one of the city’s most prominent and influential organizations. Still in operation, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society now boasts over 5,500 members, and continues to educate and encourage the public on the enjoyment and understanding of plants and the environment.

The Fenway neighborhood is home to some of the city's most important cultural institutions and the buildings that house them. The Alliance supports landmark designation of many of these properties, including Symphony Hall and Horticultural Hall, but also recognizes that, should they be designated, design guidelines will need to provide ample flexibility to allow the buildings to evolve to meet future needs.

Alliance Researches Boston's Modern Hospitals

2011-06-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

By Michelle Oliver Gutierrez

On Monday, June 13, 2011 the Boston Preservation Alliance presented the findings of a “reconnaissance” survey of some of Boston’s Modern hospitals at Docomomo/New England’s monthly meeting. The study focused on five hospital complexes that showcase the Modernist aesthetics for which Boston has become well-known, especially smooth concrete and glass facades.

The Alliance has engaged in this research in an effort to raise awareness about Boston’s exceptional Modern architecture and to deepen public understanding of the ways in which these buildings tell stories of the social changes, technological advancements and aesthetic preferences during the era in which they were constructed. The Alliance understands that in order to provide the best possible medical care Boston’s Hospitals must evolve and regularly upgrade their facilities. Our research aims to identify some of the unique features of the city’s Modern hospital buildings in an effort to better inform decisions about changes to them. In so doing, we hope that change can be managed in ways that reinforce the stories the buildings have to tell about the hospitals’ pioneering, internationally-recognized advancements in medicine, science and patient care.

The design of hospitals during this time placed an unprecedented focus on patient comfort, incorporated new technologies, especially in telecommunications and efficient internal transportation systems, and expected future developments and expansions by abandoning the traditional vertical zoning of functions in favor of the horizontal. While the Modern exteriors of these buildings are mostly unchanged since their construction, little remains of the original interiors, which have been replaced with the latest in contemporary hospital design.

A typical example of early 1950s Modernism, the Veteran’s Affairs Hospital in Jamaica Plain (1951-1952) was designed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, supervised by Col. H.J. Woodbury and resident engineer J.E. Eklund. The steel-frame building is clad in corrugated metal, and rises to thirteen stories. The design of the building ensured that every room received natural light, and incorporated an array of services including libraries, shops, recreation halls, a chapel, occupational therapy rooms, a dining hall and canteen, as well as a broadcasting room. Apart from the three-story addition in 1999 by Payette Associates, the original ambulatory care facility has remained largely unchanged, and is beginning to show signs of aging.

Between 1958-1976, The Architects Collaborative, headed by the famed Walter Gropius worked on the long-range planning and design of several buildings for two major hospitals in Boston, The Children’s Medical Center in Longwood and Tufts Medical Center in Chinatown. The work by The Architects Collaborative is easily distinguishable from earlier buildings on the medical center campuses by its extensive use of cast concrete.

At the Children’s Medical Center, these buildings include the Fegan out-patient tower (eleven stories, 1967), John F. Enders Pediatric Research Laboratory (fifteen stories, 1970), and The Children’s Inn, a multi-facility complex that included the twenty-five story apartment tower, a six-story motel and a large public plaza (1968). As one of the most incompatible changes to the complex, the subtle architectural drama that the original buildings achieved in the Children’s Inn has been obscured by the flashing colors of the recently added Food Court, and the encrustation of a standard Best Western façade.

At the Tufts Medical Center, the two modern buildings are the School of Dental Health (1972), and Proger out-patient center (1973). A large five-story vertical addition to the School of Dental Health was completed in 2010 by Architectural Resources Cambridge, along with a new entrance to the center. In its 2010-2020 Master Plan, Tufts proposed the demolition of several older buildings adjacent to Proger, as well as a complete redesign of the buildings’ Washington Street façade to “activate the pedestrian realm” by the use of a variety of colors, and textures placed over the fire existing concrete surfaces.

Perhaps most striking in their development of completely flat exterior surfaces of unbroken concrete and glass horizontal planes are two buildings by different incarnations of the Perry, Dean and Partners firm: the Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain by Perry, Dean and Stewart (1968-1976) and the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Barbara and Melvin Nessel Cancer Services building on Storrow Drive, designed by Charles Rogers for Perry, Dean, Stahl and Rogers (1969-1975).

Construction of the new Faulkner Hospital was enveloped in controversy from the beginning. Strong opposition to the scale of the development by neighbors who felt the development was out of scale with the single story, residential context delayed the project by thirty-one months of legal battles. Costing twice as much as was originally estimated, when the Faulkner finally did open, severe financial difficulties put the future of the newly constructed hospital into serious question. The Faulkner’s design was revolutionary in following the ideas proposed by the architect Gordon Friesen, who called for exclusively single-patient rooms, and did away with nurses’ stations replacing them with smaller supply closets (Nursevers) in every room. Extremely luxurious and spacious, the hospital used to feature a large roof-deck and airline-style galleys on every patient floor.

MGH’s eight-story Cancer Services building, originally the William G. Cox Cancer Management Center until 1997, is an excellent study in showcasing the possibilities of different materials. The building is defined by five modules of concrete and glass, and four large metal columns. It is set diagonally on a base of red brick that fans out to create seating space along the building, and eventually rises into an undulating brick wall. Apart from the rounded brick, other great details include rounded glass at the corners of the building, exposed piping on the inside, and concrete beams that protrude past the columns so that the joints of the building can be read from the outside.

For more information about the Alliance’s work relating to Modern building advocacy, please contact Sarah D. Kelly, executive director, at skelly@bostonpreservation.org.

Fraunhofer Center Breaks Ground at Historic Fort Point Building

2011-05-31T12:25:00.000-07:00

By Haley Wilcox

In its industrial prime, Midway Street in Fort Point was filled with warehouses, many of which stored wool that was manufactured in Boston and Western Massachusetts and shipped worldwide. At that time, Boston was the international leader in textile production, and the fully stocked warehouses of what is now Boston’s Fort Point Channel Landmark District were bursting at the seams.

The wool may be gone, but the area still recalls its industrial past, as many warehouses are being adapted for commercial and residential use. Under a new moniker of Channel Center, Midway Street is being redeveloped as a mixed-use project consisting of over 200 residences and 1.1 million square feet of new and restored office and retail space. GE Asset Management, CB Richard Ellis Group, and Commonwealth Ventures are all working together to create “the ultimate mixed-use community in Boston’s newest neighborhood.”

In tune with the theme of innovation, Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems recently broke ground on a 50,000 square foot research facility at 5 Channel Center. Founded in 2008, the Fraunhofer CSE will work closely with Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems and MIT in the area of solar technology and energy-efficient building.

The building itself will serve as a showcase for the technologies, illustrating how sustainability can be applied to historic structures. With the necessity of sustainable building growing exponentially over the years, Fraunhofer CSE will be contributing research which will greatly benefit the field of sustainability with respect to new and historic structures. The research center will serve as a model for sustainable adaptive reuse, providing an example for a field which is becoming more and more valued amongst historic preservation advocates. It is also a prime example of Mayor Menino’s success in launching Boston’s Seaport Innovation District.

The Boston Preservation Alliance has supported the project at 5 Channel Center before the Fort Point Channel Landmark District Commission and as a candidate for Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits. We look forward to the project’s completion and the building’s occupancy for a use that undoubtedly will bring more activity to this emerging area.

Alliance Advocates on Behalf of William Lloyd Garrison House in Roxbury

2011-05-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

By Haley Wilcox

Framed by weathered stone retaining walls and boulders, the William Lloyd Garrison House, known as ‘Rockledge,’ sits atop a tree-filled slope. It is a surprisingly pastoral setting in the otherwise dense residential area of Roxbury Highlands. From its rambling surroundings to its crisp architectural detail, one can easily see that this house has a special story to tell.

Constructed in 1854, the Italianate structure was the home of William Lloyd Garrison, a prominent abolitionist and journalist, who campaigned tirelessly to end slavery in the United States. A co-founder of the American Anti-Slavery Society, Garrison founded and edited The Liberator, an abolitionist newspaper that circulated from 1831 until slavery was abolished in 1865. The Liberator was unabashed in its insistence on the “immediate and complete emancipation of all slaves,” a principle that met with vigorous resistance in all parts of the country until the 1850s. In the South, state legislators mandated financial rewards for the identification of anyone who distributed the paper. In Boston, Garrison was nearly lynched by a mob in October of 1835, when he prepared to speak at a meeting of the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society. Prominent merchants teamed up with local hoodlums in a violent protest of the meeting. Garrison was dragged through the streets and was saved only by being thrown in jail. After slavery was abolished, Garrison retired to Rockledge for the remainder of his life.

The home is one of fewer than 2,500 National Historic Landmarks nationwide and has been listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, as well as on the Inventory of Historic Assets of the Commonwealth. It is a contributing structure to the Roxbury Highland Historic District, which was listed on the National Register in 1988 because of the area’s role in the Revolutionary War, its assortment of late eighteenth to early twentieth century buildings, and its significance as one of Boston’s first “Streetcar Suburbs.”

Despite the structure’s nationally recognized significance, the future of the Garrison House is uncertain. Up until this year, the Society of St. Margaret’s, an order of Episcopal nuns, owned the property, converting an old nursing home to a sprawling 35,000 square foot convent. As the order dwindled, however, the large building proved too difficult to maintain and the seventeen remaining nuns decided to relocate to a retreat center in Duxbury.

Bridge Boston, a new charter school, planned to purchase the grounds and adapt the site for the needs of approximately 400 students and teachers. This would have required a paved double bus entrance, a vehicular drop-off site, and walkways cut through the hilly grounds. In order to construct the bus lanes, heavy excavation of the front lawn, plus the demolition of the historic retaining wall, would have been necessary, which would have severely compromised the bucolic character of the surroundings. In addition, the school planned to construct a paved play ground on the property, further diminishing the existing natural landscape.

While the Alliance fully supports the objectives of Bridge Boston, the plans for renovation would have greatly altered this historic site. The Alliance urged the school to consider alternative plans that leave the historic landscape intact.

In early May 2011, Bridge Boston announced that the site would not accommodate their needs as a school and decided to rent space in Jamaica Plain, leaving the property up for sale. The Alliance hopes to work with community residents and the Society of St. Margaret’s to ensure that any future redevelopment plans will recognize the significance of the property and leave its rich historic character intact.

Alliance Advocates for Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Parking to be Returned to Parkland

2011-04-04T05:23:00.000-07:00

The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) unveiled a ten year Institutional Master Plan to guide its growth and change. The plan proposes a new four-story building on the parking lot adjacent to the John Jeffries House, the demolition of four buildings on Cambridge Street (one of which dates to 1889) to make room for a new ten-story building, and an addition/renovation to the main building at 243 Charles Street.

The Alliance has requested additional information regarding the proposed demolition. The Alliance has also supported The Esplanade Association in requesting that MEEI consider turning some of its parking lot area along the Charles River back to parkland. This change would provide additional green space in close proximity to the newly landmarked Charles River Esplanade and the Charles River Basin, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is one of Boston's most well-loved and well-used recreational and historic resources. It would also improve the setting for the approach to the Longfellow Bridge in concert with its planned rehabilitation.

MEEI has voiced its desire to work openly with residents of the surrounding neighborhoods on the revision of its ten-year plan.

Anderson Memorial Bridge to undergo restoration by MassDOT

2011-03-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

As part of the Commonwealth’s $3 billion Accelerated Bridge Program, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is undertaking the rehabilitation of the historic Larz Anderson Memorial Bridge, a historically and architecturally significant feature of the Charles River landscape. The bridge, constructed in 1915, is in severe disrepair and is currently a safety hazard, due to crackling concrete, loose or missing bricks, and arches which are structurally compromised.

MassDOT is planning repairs which follow the Secretary of the Interior’s “Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.” These plans include the repair and replacement of spandrel walls, parapets, and concrete arches. MassDOT will work closely with the Massachusetts Historical Commission as the project progresses.

The project also includes plans to increase pedestrian and cycling space across the bridge by widening the pedestrian/bike path. Some advocates have pushed for adding a boardwalk-style pedestrian underpass on both sides of the river, as part of the heavily-used network of paths of the Charles River Esplanade. The Alliance has supported exploration of this alternative, although we have expressed that its design would have to be sympathetic to the historic bridge. The plan also includes landscaping design, in which invasive trees near the bridge will be replaced with native species. The Alliance is supportive of the plan for the bridge’s rehabilitation, and looks forward to the project’s commencement.

Alliance Pushes Preservation Planning for Huntington Avenue YMCA

2011-03-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

The Boston Preservation Alliance has been monitoring and participating in review of proposed changes to the Huntington Avenue YMCA.

The prominently located, iconic Administration Building and Hastings Wing are part of a cluster of turn of the twentieth century buildings in the area. They speak to the substantial institutional development that occurred along Huntington Avenue and its surroundings during this period. Retaining much of their original appearance, these buildings handsome examples of Shepley Rutan and Coolidge’s work in the Tapestry Brick Style with character-defining ornamental detailing. The administrative activities that these buildings have housed over time also lend them significance, as the headquarters of the regional YMCA which was a leader in the provision of recreational and social services to its members.

A third building, a gymnasium, is proposed for sale to Northeastern University for the construction of a new dormitory tower in partnership with Phoenix Property Company. While the building helps to tell the story about the YMCA's philosophies about health and exercise, and it's leadership in social and demographic integration in the city, it is also in a deteriorated condition. It is adjacent to New England Conservancy's Jordan Hall, which recently underwent a major restoration.

On Tuesday, March 8, the Boston Landmarks Commission imposed a 90-day delay on the demolition of the gymnasium in accordance with Article 85 of the Boston Zoning Code. The Alliance has urged the YMCA and Northeastern to use this time to collaborate on a preservation plan for the complex that will outline what measures will be taken in order to protect the most important buildings on the site and commemorate YMCA's rich history. The Alliance looks forward to working collaboratively with both institutions and with community residents as plans move forward.

New Long-Term Stay Hotel Signals Historic Fort Point's Bright Future

2011-03-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

The Fort Point Channel Boston Landmark District is well on its way to becoming one of Boston’s most vibrant neighborhoods. With a still thriving arts scene and growing residential community, the area also borders the city's emerging Seaport District and burgeoning Innovation District.

The Alliance is supporting the rehabilitation of the Stillings Building, located at 368 Congress Street, for an extended-stay hotel. The six-story, turn-of-the-century warehouse was built in the Classical Revival Style in 1901 by Morton D. Safford, chief architect for the Boston Wharf Company. The building features a highly ornamented exterior, and a unique, glazed tile central atrium with iron walkways which rises six stories and provides natural light to all floors of the building. Criss-crossed by steel bridges that connect the east and west sides of each floor, and topped with a massive skylight, this atrium is a reminder of the building’s industrial past, and will remain a prominent feature of the restored structure.

The extended-stay hotel will include a ground floor lobby, restaurant, and retail space. In addition to the high quality of restoration proposed for the building’s exterior, the project includes sensitive new interventions that are in keeping with the industrial history of the area.

Fort Point Channel was developed from 1836 to 1882, almost entirely by the Boston Wharf Company. The area’s warehouses, originally used for sugar, molasses, and wool storage, now comprise Boston’s largest and most significant collection of industrial lofts. After the manufacturing and storage uses declined, artists moved into the abandoned lofts in the 1970s, creating what is now the largest artist enclave in New England.

The development team consists of Norwich Partners of Boston, LLC as the proponent; Colliers International as the development manager; Group One Partners, Inc. as the project architect; McCarter & English and Brennan, Dain, Le Ray, Wiest, Torpy & Garner as legal counsel; Howard Stein Hudson as transportation consultants; and Lee Kennedy & Company as construction managers. This project, which is being embraced by the Fort Point community, will bring more vitality and activity to the area, promising its continued revitalization.

WPA-Era Stone Wall in Mission Hill to be Restored

2011-03-14T06:48:00.000-07:00

Nestled among the turn-of-the-century townhouses and triple-deckers, a small, humble relic tells a story from a different time in the history of Mission Hill. It is a story of the neighborhood, and the city, rising out of the Great Depression.

Around 1935, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal initiative resulted in an ambitious agency called the Works Progress Administration. The goal of the agency was to provide employment in a time of national economic strife, and in the process, provide public works for the enjoyment and improvement of cities across the country. From constructing new roads and recreational buildings, to overseeing large art and literacy projects, the WPA provided employment for nearly eight million Americans. Among the many WPA projects in the Boston area, the Sachem Street Wall was constructed to act as a visual connector of several irregularly shaped housing lots along Sachem Street, making the street more visually appealing.

The stone wall is only about four feet high, but over the years it has become much-loved feature of Mission Hill. Constructed of curving river stones and crowned with wedges of granite, the wall now shows signs of wear and tear. Weathering, deferred maintenance, and vandalism have all contributed to its deterioration. Fortunately, the City of Boston has allocated funds for repairs to the wall.

The Alliance has been working closely with the Friends of Historic Mission Hill and others from the neighborhood to ensure that the wall is restored in a historically sensitive and timely manner. Anticipated repairs are set to begin in early Spring, 2011.

Boston Preservation Alliance Addresses Threatened Religious Properties Workshop held on Saturday, November 13, at Roxbury Presbyterian Church

2010-11-29T08:21:00.001-08:00

To a packed room of over 120 people, Reverend Hurmon Hamilton, Senior Pastor at Roxbury Presbyterian Church, kicked off the Boston Preservation Alliance’s one-day workshop on the preservation of religious properties on with a rousing call to action. Generously sharing the story of his congregation’s tireless work to raise funds to renovate the historic building, Rev. Hamilton started off the day on a truly inspiring note, encouraging other congregations to have faith and take charge of their buildings.

Throughout the rest of the day, the workshop addressed the grave threat faced by many of Boston’s religious buildings, as congregations with scarce resources struggle to maintain their properties. The event featured advice from experts, information sharing amongst participants, and guidance from preservation agencies and organizations. A number of local ministers who have successfully renovated their buildings presented case studies to serve as models for others. Emmanuel Gospel Center, Historic Boston, Incorporated, The Black Ministerial Alliance, and The Fellowship of Hispanic Pastors of New England (COPAHNI) cosponsored the event.

“Some of Boston’s most beautiful, and architecturally significant, houses of worship are in dire straits,” said Judy Neiswander, architectural historian and conference coordinator for the Alliance. “They often have decades of deferred maintenance and their parishioners, through no fault of their own, just don’t have the funds in this economy to fix them up.”

Many religious buildings dating from the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century are defining landmarks in their communities. They are beloved by their congregations, often have great historical and artistic significance, and provide facilities for an enormous amount of social service. Nevertheless, the upkeep of these buildings can be challenging. The goal of the conference was to assist building managers and others in charge of stewardship of religious properties to developing strategies for taking action.

“Deferred maintenance is a huge issue facing the owners of every church and religious building in the city,” according to Jeff Bass, director of the Emmanuel Gospel Center. “The challenge is immense, but I believe that with hard work, cooperation and God's grace, we can make progress, and this conference is a big step in the right direction.”

The workshop provided tools and information for building assessment and maintenance, described a process for moving forward when a building has problems, provided resources for on-going assistance, and promoted peer-to-peer networking, assistance and support. In addition to the panels of experienced professionals who spoke, extensive handouts were made available and participants were each given an “Owner’s Manual” for religious properties. The workshop took place at Roxbury Presbyterian Church on Warren Street, where a major restoration has recently been completed. The day concluded with tours of the facility, which allowed participants to see first-hand, the dramatic improvements that have been made to this highly valued space.

Alliance Advocacy Leads to Enhanced Preservation for Fort Andrews on Peddocks Island

2010-11-03T06:41:00.000-07:00

Following the Alliance’s comments to the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs a more comprehensive historic preservation strategy will be pursued for the invaluable resources of Fort Andrews on Peddocks Island, part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Park.

Fort Andrews was built at the turn of the twentieth century as a major component of the Boston Harbor defense system. It is the only fort constructed in Massachusetts during the Spanish American War and consists of a remarkable collection of historic buildings that form a coherent complex.

The Alliance recognized that it was not be feasible to restore a number of the buildings on the island, which after decades of vacancy were in a state of substantial disrepair. However, the Alliance raised concerns about the amount of proposed demolition, advocated for a more complete plan to protect the landscape features and archaeological assets on the island (which is known for its Native American archaeology), and pushed for stronger commitments with respect to historic interpretation. Now, a Memorandum of Agreement has been signed between the Alliance, the island’s stewards, the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Boston Harbor Island Alliance, and the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the Hull Historical Commission. This agreement will ensure that additional buildings will be stabilized and will require more archaeological survey, landscape planning and interpretation.

Moving forward, the Alliance and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have expressed a willingness to provide assistance in the development of a comprehensive preservation plan for the island, including feasibility analysis for the re-use of the soon-to-be stabilized buildings on the island. Currently there is no proposed long-term use for these buildings. The Alliance looks forward to continuing to work with the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Boston Harbor Island Alliance whom we are confident will prioritize long-term preservation of and access to the historic buildings on this captivating, but little known, fort in Boston Harbor.

Charles River Speedway Headquarters in Boston Listed as One of Massachusetts’ Most Endangered Historic Resources

2010-10-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

Following nomination by the Boston Preservation Alliance, the Charles River Speedway Headquarters in Boston has been named one of Massachusetts’ “Most Endangered Historic Resources”. Since 1993, this list is compiled annually by Preservation Massachusetts, the state’s historic preservation advocacy organization.

The Charles River Speedway Headquarters, located at the intersection of Western Ave. and Soldier’s Field Road in Brighton, has been a pending Boston Landmark since 2002 and was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the Massachusetts Historical Commission. The complex consists of six buildings built between 1899 and 1925. A prominent Shingle and Colonial Revival Style building, the Speedway Headquarters was designed to support horse and buggy racing at the adjacent Speedway, a scenic drive with a bicycle path, and a pedestrian promenade. It represents the earliest development on the Charles River Basin for recreation by the Metropolitan Parks Commission, which was the first public agency in the country to create a regional park system.

“The Speedway Building is a unique reminder of the beginnings of Boston’s regional parks and recreation systems created by the Metropolitan Parks Commission,” said Jim Igoe, President of Preservation Massachusetts, “These buildings are an integral part of the landscapes and parks they were built in and just as we strive to maintain our open spaces, we must not forget them. It is important to promote the building as a resource and work together to find possible new uses for the building that encourage rehabilitation and restoration and not demolition.”

DCR has made efforts over the past years to weatherize the buildings, but the property has continued to deteriorate. Following listing as a Most Endangered Resource, the Alliance has been actively discussing potential next steps for the building with public agencies, like-minded advocacy groups and neighbors, with a goal of facilitating an effort to find feasible re-use scenarios.

The Alliance Joins the Longfellow Bridge Task Force

2010-07-14T09:00:00.001-07:00

The Boston Preservation Alliance’s Executive Director, Sarah Kelly, has joined the Longfellow Bridge Task Force to provide input into the design for the rehabilitation and restoration of the Longfellow Bridge. The project aims to repair the century-old structure to ensure the continued safety of travelers by subway, car, bicycle, and foot and to restore and protect its historic integrity. The Task Force has been convened by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and is part of the state’s Accelerated Bridge Program (ABP). To meet the cutoff dates related to receiving legislative funding for the ABP, MassDOT will present an Environmental Assessment to the Federal Highway Administration in the fall of 2010.

The Longfellow Bridge, originally named the New Cambridge Bridge, was built between 1900 and 1907, according to the design of Edmund Wheelwright. It was lauded as a feat of civil engineering and served as an architectural model for other twentieth century Boston bridges that followed. The bridge spans 2,135 feet and is 105 feet wide, with a granite block masonry substructure, ten hollow piers, and two hollow abutments. The two central piers are decorated with two pairs of neoclassically-dressed granite towers that give the bridge its “Salt and Pepper Shaker Bridge” nickname. The new bridge was renamed in 1927 to commemorate the famous local poet who often used the West Boston Bridge to travel to and from Boston. The Longfellow Bridge’s history as a route of transportation connecting Boston and Cambridge, and its location on the site of another earlier bridge, as well as its significant architectural and engineering achievements make it deserving of immediate rehabilitation and restoration.

Massachusetts Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Extended!

2010-07-07T07:58:00.001-07:00

The Boston Preservation Alliance is pleased to report that on June 30th, the Fiscal Year 2011 State Budget was signed by Governor Deval Patrick and included an extension of the Massachusetts Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit (MHRTC) program until December 31, 2017.

The Alliance worked closely with our members, affiliates and partner organizations, including Preservation Massachusetts, in order to advocate to members of the Joint Budget Committee on behalf of the credit.

To date, almost 200 projects have applied since the first round of credits was made available in 2004 and approximately $270,000,000 in credit have been allocated statewide. Per Preservation Massachusetts’ economic review of the tax credit’s impact on the Commonwealth, it was found that the $74,000,000 in tax credits already claimed by the state has leveraged close to $1 billion in total investment, created 12,349 jobs and rehabilitated 2,655,688 square feet of historic buildings across the Commonwealth. The economic review also indicated that there is unfulfilled demand for the tax credits totaling approximately $293,800,000. The review further determined that if this demand were to be met, the tax credit could leverage between $1.5 and 2 billion in investments, create over 25,000 jobs and rehab nearly 8 million square feet of space in historic buildings.

The successful redevelopment and preservation made possible by the MHRTC over the past few years has also had a tremendously positive impact on the city’s and the Commonwealth’s economy. Projects like the redevelopment of the Dwinell-Wright Building at 311 Summer Street in the Fort Point Channel, a former warehouse that now serves as office and retail space; the transformation of the Ames Building in downtown Boston into a thriving 130 room hotel; and the rehabilitation of Engine House #40 into a performing arts space in East Boston exemplify how the tax credit has transformed historic buildings for new uses, created jobs, revitalized neighborhoods and fostered economic growth. (Tax credits are available for income-producing, commercial properties. Massachusetts does not have a residential tax credit program.)

As Boston’s lead historic preservation advocacy organization, the Alliance has witnessed firsthand the value of this tax credit and its ability to protect the historic nature of our city. We wish to thank everyone who advocated for this critical extension.

Boston Landmarks Commission Evaluates Mid-Century Modern Buildings

2010-03-22T11:29:00.001-07:00

The Boston Landmarks Commission (BLC) has completed a new survey of 147 mid-century modern buildings in Boston’s Central Business District. The survey includes buildings constructed between 1920 and 1979 and provides new and updated information for buildings that were last surveyed in 1979-80. The survey was completed by consultants Wendy Frontiero and Lynn Smiledge and was funded through a Survey and Planning grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission.

“Without a doubt, Boston has one of the most important collections of mid-century modern buildings in the nation,” says David Fixler, a principal at Einhorn Yaffee Prescott and President of DOCOMOMO/US-New England, an organization dedicated to the documentation and conservation of buildings from this period. “The survey makes a broad range of information available that will help the public better appreciate and understand the buildings.”

In light of new information and changing perspectives, the BLC’s survey identifies 57 buildings that are potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, either individually or as part of a district. The National Register of Historic Places is the Nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Buildings on the National Register may receive historic rehabilitation tax credits, which can assist in making renovation and restoration projects feasible.

The buildings deemed eligible for the National Register in the new survey range from the unassuming St. Anthony’s Shrine/Worker’s Chapel (Maurize A. Reidy, 1952), to the dramatic Federal Reserve Bank (Hugh Stubbins & Associates, 1973), to the contextual Boston 5 Cents Savings Bank (Kallman & McKinnell, 1972).

The consultants also make a clear recommendation that a number of twentieth century National Register Districts in the area be pursued by the sponsoring agencies for the survey, the BLC and the MHC. They especially call out Government Center as an “extraordinary collection” of modern architecture in the city.

While Boston’s modern buildings have not always been well undrstood or appreciated, many people have noted a shift in attidudes in the past couple of years. An acclaimed exhibit by the pinkcomma gallery in Boston’s South End featuring the city’s heroic twentieth century concrete buildings is just one example of modernism making its way into public discourse about Boston’s built heritage. Recent press seems to affirm changing opinions, including a Boston Globe Magazine article on the city's mid-century architecture in January.

See photos and the locations of some of Boston’s most interesting mid-century modern buildings on the Alliance website at http://tinyurl.com/yhjrgsv

Alliance Appoints New Board Members

2010-02-25T06:13:00.000-08:00

Gill Fishman
A life-long resident of the Boston area, Gill Fishman grew up in Roxbury, graduated with honors from Harvard College with a degree in Economics, earned a Masters in Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and has studied at the Harvard School of Education as well as at MIT.

He is a nationally-recognized designer with a broad range of experience in all fields of design and communications and his firm, Gill Fishman Associates, has been honored with more than 400 national design awards.

Mr. Fishman is a founding committee member of New Center of Arts & Culture, co-founder of Water Music, Inc./Concert Cruise/JazzBoat, an original member of The Great Boston Kite Festival and a founding committee member of First Night, Inc., organizations all directly involved with the enhancement of life within the urban environment.

Jean Abouhamad
Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, Jean Abouhamad came to the United States to attend Columbia University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and also received the Jewell M. Garrelts Award for outstanding promise of scholarly and professional achievement in civil engineering. He went on to earn a Masters in Engineering in Structural Engineering from Cornell University in 1987.

Mr. Abouhamad is founder and president of Sea-Dar Enterprises, Inc. which includes Sea-Dar Real Estate and Sea-Dar Construction. In 2009, Sea-Dar Construction received a Preservation Achievement Award from the Alliance for work done on 0 Marlborough Street/6 Arlington Street in the Back Bay.

Mr. Abouhamad is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section, ASCE and the Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts and is also involved with the South End Historical Society and Brookline Youth Soccer.

Tim Pattison
Tim Pattison is Director of Real Estate at Partners HealthCare, where he oversees the system's large leased property portfolio and is also responsible for a wide range of other real estate transactions including the ground lease of the former Charles Street Jail to the developers of the Liberty Hotel.

Before joining Partners, Mr. Pattison was with two national consulting firms providing real estate counsel to corporations, financial institutions, developers, non-profit organizations and government agencies. Prior to that, he spent three years developing office, retail and residential real estate in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and eight years in urban planning with the City of Boston.

Mr. Pattison earned an M.A. in History from Cambridge University and received a Master of City Planning degree from MIT as well as a Masters in Real Estate Development from the MIT Center for Real Estate.

Alliance Requests Review of Stuart Street Area

2010-02-25T05:58:00.000-08:00

The Boston Preservation Alliance is seeking to ensure that the historic significance of buildings in the Stuart Street area will be properly studied in the wake of anticipated new development. Last week, Liberty Mutual announced plans for a major expansion and development project in the area. The Alliance looks forward to working with Liberty Mutual to support the company’s plans for expansion while ensuring that important historic resources are protected.

A first step in the process has been for the Alliance to request that the Boston Landmarks Commission review the survey forms for a number of buildings in the area. The most recent surveys for these buildings were conducted in 1980 and 1990. It is common for surveys to be reviewed after a period of several decades because new information and the passing of time often change perspectives about their significance. This review may also impact a pending zoning change for the area, which is under development by the Boston Redevelopment Authority. The proposed new zoning would include incentives for historic preservation for buildings that are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. If buildings are deemed to have greater significance, they may be subject to added incentives.

The Stuart Street area contains a remarkably eclectic array of buildings, from the imposing, fortress-like First Corps of Cadets Armory (1891-1897) to the classical revival Salada Tea Building (1916) to the mid-century Modern Salvation Army Building.

“The diversity of architecture tells a remarkable story of the city’s evolution over time,” said Sarah D. Kelly, executive director of the Boston Preservation Alliance, “New development and contemporary architecture have the potential to add yet another layer of history to this area. The critical task will be to ensure that new construction compliments and enhances its surroundings.”

Alliance Requests Long-Term Preservation Plan for Fort Andrews on Peddocks Island

2010-01-29T06:49:00.001-08:00

The Boston Preservation Alliance has submitted comments to the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs regarding a proposal to demolish fourteen buildings, stabilize eight buildings and rehabilitate four buildings at Fort Andrews, located on the East Head of Peddocks Island.

Fort Andrews was built at the turn of the twentieth century as a major component of the Boston Harbor defense system. Fort Andrews is included in the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s Inventory of Historical and Archaeological Assets of the Commonwealth and Peddocks Island is listed in the State and National Register of Historic Places as part of the Boston Harbor Islands Archaeological District. The Fort is significant as the only fort constructed in Massachusetts during the Spanish American War.

After decades of vacancy, many of the buildings at Fort Andrews are in a state of severe disrepair, and the Alliance recognizes that it may not be feasible to restore a number of them. However, the Alliance has requested that the Boston Harbor Island Alliance and the Department of Conservation and Recreation complete a comprehensive feasibility study of potential adaptive use scenarios for buildings on the island and conduct a master plan for long term use before demolition, stabilization or rehabilitation occurs. This information will allow the project proponents to make a more informed decision about the future of Fort Andrews that is based upon an economically viable and programmatically feasible approach. It will also provide more information that will help regulatory agencies and the public assess the proposal.

The Alliance has also raised concerns about the landscape and archaeological assets of the island, and has asked for additional measures to protect these resources. Peddocks Island is known for its significant Native American archaeological resources.

The Alliance hopes to play a constructive role in ensuring that future deterioration of the buildings of Fort Andrews is prevented. Both the Alliance and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have expressed a desire to provide assistance in the development of a comprehensive preservation plan to guide sound decision making at the Fort. With a strong plan in place, the Alliance is convinced that solutions are possible to rehabilitate important parts of the campus for new uses and to permit the public to enjoy it for generations to come.