Historic preservation - including buildings, neighborhoods, archaeological sites and landscapes - adds character and charm to a community. Additionally, it fosters local pride while stimulating economic growth.
Preserving Massachusetts' Historic Legacy
Many people believe that local control of land-use decisions is the best way to preserve historic properties, yet trips through Europe provide an instructive counterexample: these towns feature much more centralized planning systems that protect historic landscapes from being degraded due to local land-use controls.
Historic Preservation Restrictions provide a means of indefinitely protecting buildings and landscapes through deed easements that protect structures or landscapes from change, typically used by owners of National Register districts but also being utilized to preserve archaeological resources on private land. Cape towns across Massachusetts utilize Preservation Restrictions agreements, with MHC serving an important statutory role.
Community Preservation Act (CPA). To preserve historic resources legally, The Alliance has actively worked towards home rule petitions enabling Boston residents to identify buildings or sites of local significance that possess significant historic value for preservation under this act.
Saving Heritage: Massachusetts' Preservation Drive
There are various preservation initiatives in place to provide funding and technical assistance, with key programs like the Community Preservation Act (CPA). It allows annual petitioning of expenditures for purposes such as the stabilization of threatened resources or the repair and rehabilitation of historic properties; CPA funds serve as local matching dollars in many private and federal grant programs, providing essential seed money to continue our community's preservation work.
Other programs include the Preservation Loan Fund and technical assistance grants such as Valerie Sivinski Washington Preserves Fund - these small, biannual grants aim to strengthen work that community organizations are doing on the ground level.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to protect America's historic places. Their National Register of Historic Places serves as an official list of structures worthy of preservation; owners of sites listed can benefit from tax provisions and must bring proposed projects before the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation for review prior to beginning work on them.
Restoring the Past: Massachusetts' Efforts
As is true throughout the U.S., preservation efforts are most effective when managed locally. In Maynard for instance, its town charter established a Historical Commission which oversees and directs preservation activities within its municipality; often working closely with federal and state preservation agencies; while Maynard Historical Society offers resources and supports preservation initiatives within its community.
Beginning the preservation process often starts with a survey or inventory of historic properties and districts, used by many towns to assess their historic assets and formulate appropriate preservation strategies. Luckily, Massachusetts Historical Commission offers grants to assist with these studies.
Preservation deed restrictions are among the most effective tools communities have at their disposal to preserve historic properties even when ownership changes hands. Many towns, including Maynard, use such deed restrictions effectively in protecting historic houses; Maynard utilizes these protection measures regularly through Maynard Housing Center's Preservation Planning Fund which offers 50/50 matching grants for projects like surveys, cultural resource inventories, National Register nominations and studies/reports (see page 40).
Architectural Gems of MA
Many New England towns take great pride in the historic architecture that defines them, which adds character and tradition to their communities. Historic architecture also helps bring tourists in while supporting tourism initiatives and saving energy through reuse.
Each town possesses tools for protecting its historic resources, such as local and state preservation ordinances and regulations such as demolition delay bylaws, zoning regulations and historic districts. These are typically driven by municipal planning commissions, local history societies or non-profit preservation groups in cooperation with their local governments.
National efforts at preservation are supported through numerous funding opportunities provided by various programs, including the MHC's Historic Preservation Grant program for survey and planning projects and its National Register of Historic Places designation process. Additionally, they administer state matching grants programs dedicated to restoration, rehabilitation and research for historic properties.
An object or property may qualify as historic for various reasons, including its connection with important people and events. For instance, Clock Tower Place's mill represents America's transformation through industrialization as well as its effect on Maynard's immigrant population.
Conserving History in Massachusetts
Preservationists in Massachusetts employ various strategies and tools in order to protect historic resources. These include local historic districts and demolition delay bylaws, preservation tax credits at both state and federal levels, archaeological resource surveys, heritage landscapes and preservation deed restrictions on buildings or land. National Park Service Technical Preservation Services website offers excellent guidance for preservation practices and standards, with numerous towns having completed historic inventories or established local or regional historic districts, while some Cape towns have created historic landscape inventories in conjunction with Boston University's Preservation Studies Graduate Program and adhering to Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation guidelines.
Massachusetts Historical Commission is an invaluable resource, overseeing local programs that support communities with historic resources and providing a 50% matching grant program to municipalities and non-profits undertaking preservation efforts. MHC also provides extensive statewide information, such as properties eligible for preservation tax credit (see page 41). Each New England state also boasts its own State Historic Preservation Office where full- and part-time professionals trained in archaeology, architectural history, archives management and history staff are employed at each SHPO.
From Colonial Roots to Modern Preservation
Historic preservation is a broad field encompassing the study, care, and protection of buildings, objects, landscapes, districts and sites of historic interest in America. It began with grassroots initiatives begun by dedicated individuals and groups working towards safeguarding sites associated with patriotism or Revolutionary War sites.
Many towns across the United States have created local historical commissions and districts to identify and preserve historic resources. Their tools of protection may include demolition delay bylaws and architectural review ordinances; while many also employ zoning overlay districts with guidelines encouraging preservation efforts such as Harwich Village Commercial Overlay District or Orleans Village Center districts.
On a national level, the federal government plays many preservation functions including passing protective legislation and awarding grants and tax incentives for preservation efforts. Furthermore, the National Park Service offers inventory forms to assist Maynard towns like Maynard in identifying their historic resources as well as serving as an information hub on state and local preservation programs. In addition, various non-profit advocacy organizations exist across the nation which monitor and support town historical preservation commissions, districts, or community groups in their work of preservation.
Inclusive Preservation in Massachusetts
Preservation Massachusetts, the statewide non-profit working to advance historic preservation work across Massachusetts, collaborates with local communities through various avenues. For instance, Preservation Massachusetts uses the Community Preservation Act (CPA), a funding mechanism enabling towns to raise property taxes to preserve open space, historic buildings and affordable housing - funds raised are then matched at a state level to support projects funded under CPA funding mechanisms. It is available only to towns that have adopted and established both an elected Community Preservation Committee as well as a Trust Fund within their town limits.
Many towns protect historic buildings through deed restrictions - which limit any future changes that can be made to property - that can be required when using CPA funding. Such measures are only put in place after reviewing both their historic significance and compliance with the Secretary of Interior Standards for Rehabilitation.
MHC's Preservation Planning staff assists communities by offering technical support, providing training and workshops, and working closely with local preservation groups. MHC staff can assist a community in creating its own history program; help research properties in Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS); or help boards and commissions manage historic resources effectively.
Safeguarding Heritage: Massachusetts' Commitment
Agawam's 89 South Senior Living Community received Preservation Massachusetts' highest award this year - The Paul and Niki Tsongas Award - in recognition of its transformative restoration efforts that embraced the past as they built for the future.
State governments should encourage the formation of both public and private financing agencies that specialize in protecting historic areas and their surroundings, which should have corporate status to accept donations from individuals, foundations and industrial and commercial concerns. Donors may qualify for special tax advantages.
Nantucket's Certified Local Government (CLG) program serves as an excellent example of this, providing the town with greater authority to nominate properties to the National Register of Historic Places while receiving more technical support from its Historical Commission.
Assistance can often be found through the state's Historic Preservation Grant Program, a competitive process that offers matching funds to municipalities and non-profit organizations for projects related to conserving significant buildings, sites, structures or collections in need of repair.
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