PRESERVATION

Vol. 20, NO. 1

PreservatiON MASS

WINTER 2005

PreservationPeople

MASS

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A Night at the Opera House…….3

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Preservation News Briefs……….4

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2004 Ten Most EndangeredHistoric Resources........................5

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Mark Your Calendar ......Back Cover

The Great Meadow in Hadley, one of 2004’sTen Most Endangered Historic Resources, is aseries of individually owned agricultural lots.One of the lone surviving examples of an open field farmed by freeholders, a medieval Europeanpractice, this open space is under threat of development and housing booms.

(Photo: The Kestrel Trust)

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Preservation & People,

Winter 2005

Preservati

ON MASS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2005

Officers

Maurice F. Childs, FAIA,

Chair

James G. Alexander, FAIA

Vice Chair

James W. Igoe

, President

Robert F. Dudley,

Treasurer

Claudia Sauermann Wu,

ClerkBoard of Directors

Robert BernsteinThomas F. BirminghamKathleen Leahy Born, AIACarol BratleyNancy BrickleyJean Carroon, AIAAnthony ConsigliMerrill H. DiamondJack HodgkinsAllen F. JohnsonBeverley JohnsonDouglas Kelleher Samuel B. Knight, Jr.Robert H. Kuehn, Jr.Richard LundgrenSean McDonnellPaul J. McGinley, AICPLouis Miller Marion Pressley, FASLADavid SiewersClarissa RoweYanni Tsipis

Staff

James W. Igoe,

President

Elsa Fitzgerald,

Special Projects Manager

Mary Lee Storrs,

Chief DevelopmentOfficer

Erin D A Kelly,

Office Manager/Preservation Advocate

PreservatiON MASS gratefully acknowledgesthe following Corporate Members

BENEFACTORS

Architectural Heritage FoundationChilds.Bertman.Tseckares.Inc.Consigli Construction Co., Inc.NER Construction Management, Inc.Suffolk Construction Company, Inc.Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.Cassin Winn DevelopmentBoston Red Sox

PATRONS

Laurie GuptillGoody Clancy & AssociatesPrintCentreSimpson, Gumpertz & Heger, Inc.Nixon Peabody LLP

CONTRIBUTORS

Colantonio Inc.Colantonio Inc.Palmer & Dodge, LLPFinegold Alexander + AssociatesStanley Roofing Co., Inc.Bratley AssociatesColumbia Construction CompanyShawmut Design & ConstructionArrowstreet, Inc.Einhorn Yaffee Prescott, PC

From the President,

2004 brought landmark moments for Massachusetts’ preservation efforts, aswell as controversy and celebration. I’d like to thank you, our preservation part-ners and colleagues, for your dedication and collaborative efforts in protectingthe enduring assets that make our Commonwealth great!In 2004, we reviewed the applications and wrote the recommendationsresulting in the first awards of the Massachusetts State Historic Tax Credit.PreservatiON MASS took the lead with our many partners in working to passthe initial legislation in 2003. To date, $9.1 million has already been awardedto five deserving projects, but there are approximately twenty-five other quali-fied projects dependent on the benefit of the state tax credit. Clearly the $10million yearly cap is not sufficient for the demand demonstrated even in this firstyear. As the lead for the Preservation Coalition, we have recently filed new legis-lation for a cap-free state tax credit. Our goal, ideally, is to maximize the benefitavailable so that no qualified project lacks the financial incentives to get it done. Another of our most successful long-term statewide initiatives is celebrated inthis winter issue of the newsletter - the Ten Most Endangered HistoricResources. PreservatiON MASS gathered the preservation community in theGrand Lobby of the newly restored Boston Opera House to announce this year’sselections. As always, this year’s listing was not without controversy, but the pro-gram continues to accomplish its goal of spotlighting preservation issuesthroughout the state and engaging expertise on all sides in furtherance of thebest possible resolutions. As we grasp the uncertainty of this year’s endangeredresources, we should be excited and encouraged by our successes. One brilliantexample is Worcester’s Union Station (1993 selection), now the centerpieceproject anchoring business relocation and revitalization in a once moribunddowntown. Another example is the adaptive reuse of four abandoned Catholicschool buildings (2002 selection) which were converted into housing in the mid-dle of downtown Holyoke. Both examples were considered nearly hopeless andlost properties, but the statewide endangered listing and resulting interventionsmade a dramatic and important difference in those communities.PreservatiON MASS experienced in 2004 another successful year in its ownvisionary leadership – many thanks to Maury Childs, our outgoing Board Chair-man. Maury achieved the launch this year of the Regional Advisory Council(RAC – see Summer 2004 newsletter), a statewide collaborative for which hehad long been a proponent. The RAC becomes another valuable foundationpiece to support preservation’s role in our state’s future.This past year was a year of successes and partnerships, upon which we mustcontinue to actively build. PreservatiON MASS is always looking for new waysto make those connections that are so vital to ensuring preservation’s positiveeconomic and cultural impact. Preservation professionals, developers, local his-toric commissions, and individuals are all part of a very powerful whole –PreservatiON MASS. It is through the support of these alliances and partner-ships that we are able to continue our work and grow in the future. Our New Year’s resolution is to push our bounds of influence and impact to the ends of this great Commonwealth and become more truly statewide, providing expand-ed services outside of the Boston area – to Pittsfield, Springfield, Holyoke, andmore. With your support, our dreams can come true and 2005 will bring evenmore preservation success. Jim IgoePresident, PreservatiON MASS

Winter 2005

, Preservation & People

Opera House

reservation took center stage on the evening of November15, 2004. PreservatiON MASS hosted its third annualPreservation Event to formally announce the 2004 Ten MostEndangered Historic Resources. Over 200 people gathered in theGrand Lobby of Boston’s newly restored Opera House for theevening’s program and to view the results of the multi-million dol-lar restoration by Clear Channel Entertainment. A Silent Auction,special tours and the gathering of colleagues and friends all culmi-nated with the announcement of 2004’s most endangered historicresources. Thanks to all who attended for making the evening awonderful success for preservation! PreservatiON MASS wouldalso like to thank Epsilon Associates and Suffolk Construction forco-sponsoring the evening’s festivities. Many thanks go to all of our Dress Circle, Mezzanine and Balcony Patrons, as well as all of our friends and volunteers. Your continued support of Preserva-tiON MASS enables us to continue to effect advocacy throughprograms like our Ten Most Endangered.

Photos: Top Left: “Opening Night,The B.F. Keith Memorial Theatre, 1928”;Below: Interior of The Opera House,Boston

(Both Images courtesy of Finegold Alexander & Associates)

Bottom: ( Clockwise from left) 10 MostEndangered Chair Dick Lundgrenannouncing the 2004 list; View of OperaHouse Lobby from Grand Staircase;Elsa Fitzgerald & Tom Birmingham;Registration table & guests.