Death Watch Day Three

So far this house has not been touched but the clock is ticking.

But as I feared, those who would trash our historic district in Newburyport have decided to demolish an historical home on 28 Hancock Street.     First, the developer left the windows fully exposed to the elements from fall into winter.     Second, all the while our building inspector made no move to penalize or site them for this obvious safety infraction.      Then today, I discovered the unthinkable.

A big gaping hole where an historic home with good structure and potential for an historic renovation – demolished.     AND A BIG SIGN PROCLAIMING, ‘CONCORDIA NEW HOME’

I will have pictures and hopefully more information as to how the city would allow the destruction of yet another historic home! (They need a demolition permit from the city.)

I know for a fact that developers are flooding in hoping to push away these inconvenient old buildings so they can build new – and if they can’t get rid of the homes, gut them so in effect, they are building new on the same footprint.       AND WE DON’T NEED A LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT?????

That is why I am keeping my original online petition for instituting a local historic district on the entire Newburyport Historic District.    I need 200+ signatories to present to the city council.     Will you join me?    For Newburyport – time is running out.

And all the while the poster child of demolition remains for the time being:

  

             January 26th, 2012

-P. Preservationist
www.ppeservationist.com