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Letter sent to the Mayor of Greenfield, Massachusetts
December 26, 2004 Mayor Christine Forgey Greenfield Town Hall 14 Court Square Greenfield MA 01301
Historic Window Demolition: William Coleman House, Greenfield
Dear Mayor Forgey: I am writing on behalf of the Boston Society of Architects' Historic Resources Committee to request that the town government of Greenfield support the Greenfield Historic Commission in their efforts to preserve the Palladian window in this important Asher Benjamin house. The house is significant both locally and nationally, because it retains more integrity than any other among this architect's Neo-Classical houses. The Coleman house became an important prototype for other homes in the United States following the publication of plans derived from it in Benjamin's book, The Country Builder's Assistant in the 1798 and 1800 editions printed by Thomas Dickman, a Greenfield publisher. The Town of Greenfield and William Coleman were important in the dissemination of Asher Benjamin's influential publications and should be proud to count this house, today a funeral home, among its historic building stock. The integrity and significance of the house are threatened by the current owner's proposal to remove and dispose of window sidelights, fan, and sash in order to make way for vinyl replacements. Greenfield is too sophisticated a town to countenance this kind of uninformed destruction. The building is a nationally significant historic structure and should be maintained at a level consistent with its importance. The window should be repaired and restored. The historic millwork should not be removed, even if it could be archived and stored. Please help the Greenfield Historic Commission work with the owner of the William Coleman house to find a responsible solution and protect Greenfield's unique portion of Asher Benjamin's legacy.
Sincerely,
Henry Moss, AIA Co-Chair, BSA Historic Resources Committee |