Demolition Granted for Lessey Street House Addition. Historical Commission’s Work for Jones Library Project Is Not Done.

Report on the Meeting of the Amherst Historical Commission, January 6, 2025

This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.

Present
Commissioners: Robin Fordham (Chair), Pat Auth, Hetty Startup, Madeleine Helmer, and Antonia Brillembourg. Fordham, an employee of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, recused herself for the discussion on the Section 106 Review.

Staff: Walker Powell and Nate Malloy (Planners)

Owners Allowed to Demolish Rear of Lessey Street House to Construct Addition

The owners of 94 Lessey Street requested permission to demolish the 1-1⁄2 story ell at the rear of the house in order to construct a two-story addition. The Italianate style house was designed by Chauncy W. Lessey around 1870 and is located in the Dickinson National Historic District. Levi Stockbridge, a founder and first president of Massachusetts Agricultural College (now UMass), occupied the house in the late 19th century. 

Anna Cook of Integrity Development and Construction presented the current owners’ plans to modernize, insulate, and repair the house, which they purchased in 2023 in order to be able to age in place. There was some question about the age of the ell slated to be demolished. Although the owners think it dates to 1900, Amherst Historical Commission (AHC) Chair Robin Fordham believes it is part of the original structure. She noted that the half story at the rear of the house occurs in other Victorian houses in Amherst. A kitchen in the rear of the house is also typical of the period. The commissioners noted that the chimneys and architectural details match those on the main part of the house. They were pleased that the architectural plans for the new addition aim to match the original style and that the owners did a lot of research on the Italianate style. The plans have a brick facing on the cement foundation of the new addition, and the proposed roof lines on the addition match the existing roof lines of the ell. 

There was no public comment.

The AHC agreed that the section  proposed for demolition was historically significant, but did not find a compelling reason to delay the demolition and construction of a modern kitchen. Madeleine Helmer said it was important that the new addition pay homage to the original architectural style, like the roofline being a defining feature. She said she appreciates the thought that went into the proposed design. Pat Auth praised the owners for going to great lengths to research the house. 

The commission waived, by unanimous vote, the demolition delay on the condition that the new construction use the designs presented. Because the house is in the Dickinson Local Historic District, the Local Historic District Commission will need to approve the design.

Historical Commission Will Remain Active in Section 106 Review of Jones Library Expansion Project
The AHC is a consulting party for the Section 106 review of adverse effects of the proposed Jones Library Expansion Project on the historic library. The review is required to be completed for the project to receive the $2.1 million in federal grants that it was provisionally awarded. Amherst’s Special Capital Projects Coordinator Bob Peirent recently received a letter from Brona Simon, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) (the State Historic Preservation Officer for the Section 106 review), stating that the town’s proposal to address previously identified adverse effects of the construction to the historic character of the building did not offer alternatives, as required. Instead, it offered justification for the plans that project sponsors regarded as final. The letter noted that MHC staff had identified concerns about the use of artificial slate for the roof replacement, a plan to cut a hole for a book drop in the front façade of the building, and an outstanding report on an archaeological survey of the property, and asked the town to respond to these concerns.

Although Town Planner and AHC liaison Walker Powell thought that the AHC had no further role to play in the process and that it was up to the town to reconcile the differences between the library’s plan and the concerns of the MHC, AHC representatives to the Section 106 review process Helmer and Hetty Startup disagreed. 

Startup said, “I don’t see that my role as a consulting party is over. I don’t believe that we are finished — we are still in the process of deliberation and the AHC has a role in that.”

Startup said that in addition to sharing MHC’s concerns about the roof and the book drop, she still had concerns about plans to change the floor plan, and demolish the director’s office, as well as concerns about the massing of the addition, which the MHC had judged to be incongruous with the historic building design, dramatically impacting the viewscape of the library and the historic district within which it resides. She said that all of these concerns warrant further discussion in the pursuit of alternatives to eliminate, minimize, or mitigate the identified adverse effects.

Helmer said the alternatives analysis by the town only states why they believe that further changes to the design will not “work” and does not address the concerns of the MHC. She stated that the AHC is involved in the process as one of several consulting parties. She noted that the AHC was asked to make a judgement about the adverse effects of the proposed expansion and demolition prior to receiving the MHC’s interpretations, and hence they were asked to offer a judgement with incomplete information. She asked that the AHC adopt protocols to ensure that this does not happen again.

Town Plans for North Cemetery Fence Replacement Questioned
Although the Community Preservation Act Committee recommended $40,000 for the replacement of the fence at the North Cemetery on East Pleasant Street, Fordham said that the planned replacement vinyl fence was not appropriate. Split rail fences were most commonly used around cemeteries and also around town commons. The town, however, is concerned about maintenance, and vinyl requires considerably less maintenance than wood. The AHC will need to decide on the best solution.

Barn Preservation Project 
Former AHC Chair Jan Marquardt drafted a plan for funds to help preserve Amherst’s old barns. The project was awarded $15,000 in Community Preservation Act funds in FY2024. Resources and an application for funds are available on the Amherst Historical Commission webpage. The project will be launched as soon as the AHC approves it. The commission will review applications for funds as they come in until the money is exhausted.

An emergency demolition of Walter Jones’ barn in North Amherst was granted. Although a demolition delay had been placed on the structure several years ago, the roof is now falling in and the interior is decaying. There were no plans to use the building.

The AHC next meets on February 3 at 7 p.m.

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