Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The Historical Commission seeks nominations for its annual Historic Preservation Awards.
If you know of a historic buidling in Watertown that people should know about or a preservation project that should be in the spotlight, nominate them for a Historic Preservation Award. The Watertown Historical Commission announced it seeks nominations for this year's awards. The awards are handed out at a ceremony at the Commander's Mansion in the Watertown Arsenal. See last year's award recipients here. AWARD CATEGORIES The Citizenship Award - given to any individual who has taken a leadership role in the effort to educate the community-at-large about historical preservation issues or concerns. The Richard E. Mastrangelo Award - given to any individual elected or employed by the Town of Watertown who has actively been a champion in …
Friday, March 15, 2013
The building on Belmont Street dating back to the early 19th century will be given historic landmark status.
The farm house on Belmont Street that dates back to the 1830s will be saved and refurbished after the owners - Beacon High School - and the town came to an agreement to make it a historic landmark. The Orchard House sits on the school's property and had been threatened with demolition will be preserved after months of negotiations and efforts to save the house. Thursday night the Historical Commission agreed in principle to the creation of the landmark. In April the Commission will hold a public hearing and vote on creation of the historic landmark. History The Orchard House is one of the last Greek Revival homes left in Watertown and has ties to notable people associated with the Revolution, Abolition and Temperance movements, art, …
42.380623
-71.191344
Beacon High School
917 Belmont St, Watertown, MA
/articles/agreement-reached-to-save-watertown-s-historic-orchard-house
768365
/locations/9022077
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
The Historical Commission extended the delay to prevent the historic farm house from being torn down.
The Historical Commission extended the demolition delay on the Orchard House for another six months, extending the term to the full one-year allowed under Watertown's bylaws. The commission met on Dec. 13 to discuss whether to lengthen the term of the demolition delay. The board put the initial delay on the Orchard House – a farm house from built in the 1830s – when officials from Beacon High School applied to tear down the building in July. As with the first hearing, several Town Councilors and other residents spoke out in favor of saving the building, according to Marilynne Roach, a member of the Historical Society of Watertown who attended the Historical Commission meeting. The Historical Commission voted unanimously to extend the …
42.380623
-71.191344
Beacon High School
917 Belmont St, Watertown, MA
/articles/demolition-delay-for-watertown-s-orchard-house-extended-by-six-months
768365
/locations/8455985
Saturday, September 15, 2012
The school that owns the historic home will meet with residents Tuesday in Town Hall.
The Beacon High School will hold a community meeting about the historic Orchard House on Tuesday, Sept. 18 in Town Hall at 7 p.m. Beacon School, which is run by the Walker School, owns the farmhouse at 917 Belmont Street which dates back to the early 1830s. The school applied to tear down the house, but in July the Historical Commission put a six-month demolition delay on the building. Since then, the Historic District Commission has started efforts to make the property a historic district, which would prevent the house from being torn down. School officials told the Historical Commission that they want to find a way to save the building while still meeting the needs of their students. At the meeting, school officials will go into more …
42.36752
-71.18773
Town of Watertown Town Hall
149 Main St, Watertown, MA
/articles/beacon-school-hosting-community-meeting-about-historic-orchard-house
1422333
/locations/7845300
Monday, August 6, 2012
The Historic District Commission will hold an informational meeting Wednesday night to explore whether to make the Beacon High School property a historic district.
Wednesday night, the Historic District Commission will explore the possibility of turning the Beacon High School property – site of the Orchard House – into a historic district. The committee announced the meeting Monday, and Conservation Agent Christopher Hayward said the meeting will be just a first step. “The Historic District Commission is considering starting up a study group to look at making the Beacon School its own historic district,” Hayward said. “This meeting is a discussion to gauge community interest in to doing that.” Dozens of Watertown residents showed up at a meeting of the Historical Commission (separate from the Historic District Commission) when the school applied for a permit to tear down the Orchard House, which …
42.380623
-71.191344
Beacon High School
917 Belmont St, Watertown, MA
/articles/town-commission-looking-at-making-orchard-house-property-a-historic-district
768365
/locations/7532714
Friday, July 13, 2012
The Watertown Historical Commission approved a six month demolition delay for the Orchard House, a home with ties to the Abolition movement and the Boston Tea Party.
[NOTE: The Story was Updated Aug. 10 at 9:40 a.m.] Save the historic Orchard House – that was the feeling shared by dozens of residents at Thursday night’s Historical Commission meeting who want to make sure part of Watertown’s history is not lost. The Historical Commission voted to put a six-month demolition delay on the historic Greek Revival building at 917 Belmont Street, and asked the owners to work with the community to save the structure. The house sits on land now owned by Beacon High School, a school for students with educational and emotional challenges. School officials filed an application to tear down the house and leave it as green space, said Steve Tannenbaum, vice president of the Board of Directors of The Walker School, …
42.380623
-71.191344
Beacon High School
917 Belmont St, Watertown, MA
/articles/beacon-school-commits-to-work-with-residents-to-save-historic-house
768365
/locations/7598362
John DiMascio
10:35 am on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
This is private property folks. If the Town wants to make it a historic site, they should purchase it at fair market value, by eminent domain and then do whatever they want to preserve it. If not they have no business telling the owner what to do so long as the owner doesn't violent existing zoning. Property owners have a have a "bundle of rights" which accompany the property the bought. Among … more ›