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Present: Bill Barry, Matthew Bronski, Susan Browne, Taya Dixon, Marilyn Fenollosa, David Fixler, Allan Galper, Jack Glassman, David Hart, John Hecker, Erin Hester, Wendall Kalsow, David Kelman (Co-chair of BSA Housing Committee), David King, Krista McFadden, Arthur MacLeod, Bill Mack, Doug Manley, Henry Moss, Ivan Myjer, Deborah Robinson, Brian Roche, Roberto Rosso, Susan Schur, Malcolm Smiley, Jon Smith, Eric Ward, Sara Wermiel, Sally Zimmerman, Mark from McGinley Kalsow 1. BAC Preservation Course Ideas: The Boston Architectural College currently offers a certificate program in historic preservation through its continuing education department. The school plans to start a preservation studies concentration in its undergraduate degree program in design studies and also is considering offering a graduate level program. Bill Barlow, Jack Glassman, Sara Wermiel, Brian Pfieffer and Michael Delacey attended a meeting at the BAC to discuss the development of this program. Most of this group did not see historic preservation as a distinct discipline although Michael argued that it is a definable though general subject area within the liberal arts. Sally Zimmerman pointed out that the most serious gap is in technical training programs for conservators; she thought there would be enough internship opportunities for students. John Hecker said that the job market should never be a significant criterion in determining curriculum content. Meanwhile and reasonably, the AIA's national Historic Resources Committee is lobbying for historic preservation questions to be included in the Architectural Registration Exam. [The BAC thanked the BSA for encouraging so much thoughtful involvement in their attempt to put this program together.] 2. H. H. Richardson House Charrette: This charrette was organized with two teams exploring development options for the site, so as to protect the most significant parts of the house. There are zoning problems to be overcome before an institutional use could occupy the site and building - an institutional user might be more able to afford the cost of properly preserving and adapting the building. Yet an abutter is sufficiently litigious to raise concerns among prospective purchasers who are not in the market for a single-family house. One suggestion to emerge was that the BSA Board, the BSA Historic Resources Committee, and the National Trust might support an application for a zoning variance. The variance application would need an unusual supporting argument, as the financial hardship may not be obvious. The site's appraisal is less than the asking price. The asking price reflects the current investment aimed at saving Richardson's house. The charrette teams explored ideas about removing an ell and making a new circular drive to create a sense of presence worthy of the building and its location and to simplify on-site parking. Committee members who took part in the charrette (Marilyn Fenollosa, Elizabeth Randall, Allan Galper and Gary Wolf) may now offer suggestions about how the BSA can help the Hoppins, who own the site and who have borne the cost of its purchase up until now. Albert Rex, previous director of the Boston Preservation Alliance and leader of the Chestnut Hill Waterworks charrette, was hired to lead this day's work aimed at finding real estate solutions to the vulnerable, valuable 1-acre property. 3. Eleanor Raymond House Demolition by Belmont Hill School: Eleanor Raymond's 1931 house for her sister, Rachel, on Belmont Hill was quickly demolished after Belmont Hill School purchased the site. It was arguably the first Modern Movement house in New England, and DOCOMOMO's national chapter has criticized Boston's preservation advocates for not intervening more effectively. Belmont has no demolition delay byelaw. Belmont Hill School repeated the tactic we witnessed with the Heck House demolition proposal in Weston earlier in the year-the new owner hired an architectural historian to testify that the building was not significant for various reasons: loss of integrity, dilapidation, not painted white, who knows exactly…? Henry observed that we can expect these testimonials from hired commentators to come in torrents as more Modern Movement and Post WW II buildings come under pressure for removal so their sites can be redeveloped. [Part of our committee's contribution can be to help make convincing explanations of how these buildings mattered historically in New England, if not nationally. Otherwise, many important buildings will disappear simply because neither Henry Russell Hitchcock nor Siegfried Gideon singled them out in their books on the progress of Modernism.] 4. Advocacy in the Dark: After the outcry about the alterations of Aalto's Woodbury Poetry Room in Lamont Library at Harvard, the BSA Board asked that our committee act to reduce the chances of their being caught by surprise by future controversies. Bill Barry noted that the Boston Preservation Alliance is focusing anew on colleges and other Boston institutions in an attempt to be more proactive. David Kelman pointed out that there will be some predictable moves toward change where Archdiocesan properties have been bought by institutions (Boston College, for example). Marilyn Fenollosa pointed to the recent defense put forward by Belmont Hill School: [paraphrasing: "Our mission is not historic preservation; it is education and we are responsible to our trustees for managing our resources to that end…"] David Hart and Wendall Kalsow recommended that historical commissions in towns with colleges, private schools, and religious complexes inventory significant institutional properties, to be prepared before new master plans are proposed - especially the towns without demolition delay ordinances. David emphasized the critical nature of these legal aspects of the process, especially where local and state registers of historic properties are incomplete. Sally Zimmerman said that groups like our committee must address what institutions own that they may not consider significant, especially if the local historic commission-or more to the point, the building inspector-does not know that some properties may be important. Furthermore, the structures most likely to fall through the cracks are the newer (Modern) buildings. Susan Browner suggested that where time allows, educational letters should go to local Zoning Boards of Appeal, the historical commissions, with copies to the home addresses of selectmen. Henry suggested that the committee consider inviting heads of advocacy and regulatory agencies to the BSA for a discussion about how to maintain a coordinated approach to preserving properties owned by institutions, especially those from the relatively recent past. The problem is acute because projects arise within separate departments at most colleges and universities and often do not undergo scrutiny for threats to their historic value. Interiors and Post WW II historic resources are generally not obvious settings where these thoughts would arise. Ivan Myjer and Matthew Bronski noted the ethical and business conflicts that can emerge when important clients dismiss warnings that projects are likely to run afoul of historic commissions. In some cases consultants are placed in the position of potential whistleblowers and may jeopardize their firms' relationship with a major source of work. 5. BSA Preservation Award: At the Oct. meeting, Ivan Myjer suggested that we consider Boston's Historic Burying Ground Project for this award. After a 12-year hiatus, this project is gathering momentum and making new headway. Kelly Thomas now runs it as part of Parks and Recreation. Boston's tour companies have helped fund their recent activities. [We should consider including the Dept. of Environmental Management's ambitious publication "Preservation Guidelines for Municipally Owned Historic Burial Grounds and Cemeteries" as part of this discussion.] There was no follow-up discussion of this topic in November.
8: 00 a.m., Thursday, 14 December 2006 The Architects' Building, 52 Broad Street, Boston, fifth floor Featuring "Sever Hall Exterior Restoration" Lisa Howe, Goody Clancy
Henry Moss, Matthew Bronski, and Sara Wermiel co-leaders and scribes
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