HomeMy WebLinkAboutHistorical Comm Minutes 8/26/1997MANSFIELD HISTORICAL COMMISSION
TOWN OF MANSFIELD
MANSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS 02048
Office at:
i -D W Jst Street
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MANSFIELD HISTORICAL COMMISSION MINUTES
for August 26,1997 at 7:00 PM at Town Hall
Present: Pat Cataloni, David Loving, Gean Parks, Leslie Pasch, Charlotte
Scozzafava and Kate Viens.
The Chairperson, Kate Viens, presided. Minutes from the July 29, 1997
meeting were approved with a correction: they should read July, not June.
Approved on a motion from Gean, seconded by Leslie. All in favor.
Correspondence
1. Letter from DPW Director Dan Clifford to Kate on Fisher - Richardson House
2. Letter fiom Kate to Acting Town Manager on Fisher - Richardson House
3. Issue of Preservation and People
Kate reported that the animal problem at the Fisher - Richardson House has been
solved. The Department of Public Works removed boards and blocked the hole
behind the chimney where the animal enters at the direction of Richard Boucher,
the Acting Town Manager. They also sprinkled diazonon outside the house to
deter animals. A discussion of the safety of the house took place. Tours are still
being conducted and Founders' Day is approaching. Gean moved that Leslie send
a memo to Richard asking him to direct the Building Inspector to inspect the house
at his earliest convenience using the revised building code of February 1997 for
historic structures. Leslie seconded. All in favor. The Fisher- Richardson House
clearly qualifies as a "partially preserved building" according to the code and
probably can be considered a "totally preserved" one, a fact Leslie will note in the
memo. She will also speak to Richard directly.
Gean noted that houses nominated to the National Register can be found on the
World Wide Web, with updates every Friday. Lois Thomas called Kate with a
reference from an old county history which ties the Fisher - Richardson House to
Isaac Wellman. All cemetery plaques except that of the Leonard Cemetery in East
Mansfield are installed.
Ideas for funding repairs to the F -R House were discussed. Everyone agreed
that the 1988 structural engineering report is too old and that determining what
needs to be repaired at the house is our first priority.. Kate presented some
preservation grant programs from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and
the Mass Preservation Projects Fund. The former would not address actual repairs
until 1999. A number of ideas including pursuing matching grants with funds
from a Town Meeting article were discussed. The members had concerns about
who has responsibility for preserving and maintaining the house - -the Commission?
DPW? The subject will be discussed at our September meeting with Richard
Boucher. Kate will attend a September 30 workshop on the Preservation Projects
Fund in Sandwich and will report.
The Commission is scheduled to meet with the Charier Review Commission on
Monday, September 8 at 7:30 pm. After discussion, the members felt that the
present charter addresses our role adequately.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:20 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Leslie A. Pasch
Secretary