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Two houses on Edgewood were approved for demo; a neighbor said the houses were destroying the value of hers.
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An abandoned renovation at 408 West Main will also come down.
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The commission had approved tearing down this house on West Main but declined to approve a second one.
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The commission is hoping creation of a Local Historic District will save this house.
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An old corner store at Houghton and Liberty will be demolished.

North Adams Commission Hopes to Make Museum Out of Mill Houses

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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The Historic Commission is hoping to save two or three 19th-century mill houses for a museum.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Historic Commission is hoping to salvage a set of 170-year-old mill houses as museums.

The properties on Houghton Street dating from between 1840 and 1870 were set for demolition, which the commission signed off on in April.

But Commissioner Alan Horbal, who initially motioned for the demo approval, had a change of heart, he said.

"I went to the mayor for a one-year stay," he told the commission on Thursday. "Converse to my own recommendation to the board, because we didn't have all the facts."

Horbal said had carpenters check the first two "Hodge" buildings and found that "they're sounder than my house."

"They were physically sound. They look like hell, but they were physically sound," he said. "I would like to make them into walk-in museums.

The mayor agreed after several meetings, including with other board members, to delay their demolition to give the commission time to raise funds to save them, Horbal said.

While sound, the two-unit structures would still require work, including repointing the the foundations, repairing joists and replacing or restoring any original siding.

Two, possibly three, of the four buildings could be restored, with the one or two in the worst condition used for salvage.

Horbal said he envisioned something along the lines of Sturbridge Village with protected period presentations that people could view.

"It's a big project," cautioned Commissioner Joanne Hurlbut in voting approval.

Horbal said members of the Historical Society were supportive and there were people who could write for grants and help raise money. He hoped that local organizations and schools could get involved and that volunteers could help with cleanup and removing the asphalt siding before winter.

The buildings have been vacant for some years and are part of an estate.

"I talked to attorney of the estate," said Horbal. "They're determining what has to happen to transfer that property to us."


A fifth property — a former corner store at Houghton and Liberty — will come down.

"I'm sick and tired of them tearing buildings down," Horbal said. "If it doesn't work out, I'll go up with a sledgehammer next year and knock them down."

The commissioners did, however, approve tearing down a half-dozen vacant buildings on Edgewood Avenue, Hall Street and at 408 West Main because of their derelict condition. But they declined to pull the trigger on 24 West Main St. or 116 Pleasant St.

The demolition of 24 West Main 11-15 Furnace St. was being requested by Greylock Market, which is planning to revamp Western Gateway Heritage State Park, including connecting the north entrance to Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts.

"I think there's so much uncertainty in what they're doing," said Hurlbut.

Chairwoman Justyna Carlson noted the city's master plan calls for more downtown housing: "I think it's a shame unless it's absolutely necessary."

The Pleasant Street home is a Victorian with a dangerously dilapidated porch in the Cady Hill Historic District.

The commission recommended against its demolition with the hope some way could be found to help with its repairs.

"This would have been a perfect example of a home that could have benefited by a Local Historic District," said Carlson.

The city is looking into establishing such districts that could help homeowners and businesses access state and federal funding for repairs and restorations.

The commission is recommending the city establish a study committee in accordance with MGL 40C to develop such districts.

The effort is being spearheaded by City Councilor Benjamin Lamb, who appeared before the committee to get a formal endorsement.

"We are definitely strongly supportive of local historic districts and the economy," said Carlson.

She provided the commission and made copies for the City Council of recent articles showing local historic districts can be  economic boosters and stabilize and increase housing prices.  

"I'm pushing this schedule as fast as I can," said Lamb. "We're trying to persuade people who are on the fence. This is proof."

Correction: The West Main Street building was approved for demolition some time ago; the Furnace Street building is the one right before the pedestrian bridge. The market had done a study indicating only one of the three buildings would be worth rehabbing but since it has not signed a lease yet for the park, the commission did not want to OK razing a house someone might be interested in.


Tags: demolition,   historic district,   historical building,   historical commission,   

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Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
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