In these times of pandemic and gentrification it was imperative for me to speak to someone about the preservaton of what we have . So I contacted Brandon Wilson, executive director of the Somerville Historical Preservation Commission.
Can you describe the mission statement of the Commission?
The mission of the Commission is to ensure Somerville’s most
important historic properties are preserved.
It was established by municipal ordinance in 1985 and is comprised of 14
volunteer members that typically includes architects, architectural historians,
owners of locally designated houses, contractors, real estate agents and others
with a strong interest in local history.
The Commission benefits from Staff provided by the Historic Preservation
Division of the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development
(OSPCD).
Together the Staff and the Commission members keep Somerville’s history alive by protecting historic
properties, collecting photos and documents, and raising awareness of
Somerville's history as a community.
How have things changed or not
because of COVID?
Interesting question! Like most offices we have pivoted quite a
bit, using Zoom for public meetings, working remotely with less
access to helpful materials and colleagues, and figuring out ways to highlight
Somerville’s historic assets to a variety of audiences, in a physically safe
and hopefully interesting manner. The
pandemic prevents us from bringing groups of people together to enjoy our usual
walking tours, bike rides, talk and film series, and docent guides, so we
started virtual programming.
Perhaps one of the most popular ideas that
we recently launched is a ‘I Spy Somerville’ series. Every week or so we release a sample image of
an often-overlooked physical feature in “Historic Somerville” and we challenge
our audience to find other examples around the City. The goal is to highlight Somerville’s
historic assets and charm, give helpful direction to folks’ regular walking and
biking during COVID-19, and encourage all to explore different neighborhoods in
the City, whether actively or via their computer. We ask everyone to submit a photo, the
address, and any lore they know about the image, to win bragging rights,
possibly win a prize, and make others aware, and possibly find the object
too. Ultimately, we intend to create and
map a collection of historically interesting and unique objects around
Somerville, including some which may be changing, like artistic manhole covers,
or disappearing altogether, like in-ground trash pails.
Not all cities have historical preservation commissions and if
they do, I think many have less visibility than yours does. Why do
you think Somerville merits an active historical commission?
It is certainly my hope to give notable visibility to our
Preservation Commission because Somerville has such a rich history and
architectural legacy to showcase! You
often hear about Lexington, Concord and Boston as places to learn about the
founding of our nation, but seriously Somerville, as far back as when it was
known as ‘Beyond the Neck’ and part of Charlestown, has many claims to fame
too. It was here that the Redcoats’ Raid
of the Old Powder House took place on September 1,1774 and was said to spark
the American Revolution, and that the very high hill overlooking Cambridge and
Boston served as the site for George Washington to command the raising of the
First Flag of the United Colonies on January 1, 1776.
In addition to our historical significance, Somerville can attest
to an amazing array of architectural styles, distinguished architects, and
unique buildings like the Round House, the Prospect Hill Tower, and the
Somerville Armory, to name but a few examples.
The structures also reflect our rich heritage of skilled artisans and
builders whose fine craftsmanship is difficult or unaffordable to recreate, so
it is important to preserve them, for current, as well as future generations.
The Preservation Commission, in partnership with other local
offices and organizations, needs to be both active and assertive, to ensure the
City is recognized as “Historic Somerville!”
You have home preservation awards. Can you talk a bit about
this--and how does one qualify for such an award?
The Commission initiated an Awards Program in 1995, making this year
our 25th anniversary!
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 we have hit the pause button for any true
celebration. However, not to be totally deterred,
we are amid recognizing the 9 property owners who are winning 2020 Preservation
or Director Awards for work done over the past couple of years. Owners
may nominate their own property or may be nominated by others in the community.
Eligible projects include, but are not
limited to, removal of inappropriate siding materials, repair or restoration of
damaged or missing architectural details, removal of enclosed porches or
inappropriate windows, repainting with historic colors, and additions that are
“historically sympathetic.”
As part of our virtual programming, in a periodic newsletter to
over 1,000 subscribers, we are highlighting the fine exterior work on the
owners’ properties with Before, In Progress, and After photos. Later more details will be posted on our
website via a PowerPoint presentation which would normally be shown at our
annual Awards Ceremony. It is held as
part of Preservation Month in May at the Somerville Armory, but naturally it’s
on hold now. Also, each of the owners were personally interviewed, to hear what
restoration or renovation work they did and any helpful lessons they learned. The Somerville Times is publishing the
interviews and photos periodically in their weekly newspaper.
What really distinguishes our Awards Program from most other
communities is that it involves the students at Somerville High. They create an original piece of artwork
representing one of the winning properties, using many forms such as
watercolors, pen and ink, computer art, and ceramic tiles. The winning pieces are professionally framed,
and a copy is given to the student for their portfolio, as well as to the
owner, following a yearlong mobile exhibit to different parts of the City, to showcase
both groups’ impressive work. The Awards
Program benefits from the generosity of local businesses, including Century
Bank, Stanhope Framers, restaurants, and several space exhibitors.
What is your own history with Somerville?
I have been a city planner working with the City for several
decades, serving under 5 different mayoral administrations, and enduring 40
years this past May! During this time I
have been involved with many different types of planning, beginning with
citizen participation and school reuse planning in the 1980’s, land use and
zoning as Planning Director for 14 years, and more recently doing community
events, outreach and historic preservation planning. While not my hometown, I
love living and working in Somerville where I raised a family, renovate old
houses, and engage in lots of civic efforts.
Is rapid gentrification of the city interfering with historical preservation?
Gentrification is a challenge
for all cities, and Somerville is no different.
It’s ironic to me that when I first started working here in 1980 many native
residents were leaving for the leafier, less dense, and newer houses in the
suburbs, and seemed less interested in the older building stock and local
history. Over the years, with new folks
coming from all over the country and globe, many of them have been excited to
learn about their new community, its history and traditions, and are eager to
fix up, adaptively reuse, and appreciate the older architecture here. This change of spirit has made a welcome
difference for those of us who care about preserving the beauty and charm of
“Historic Somerville” evident in its architecture, artifacts, and
community-wide celebrations.
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