Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Out with the old

Clark House 8/24/11
Clark House 8/29/11
On August 23 last year the Amherst Historical Commission hit Amherst College, the number one property owner in a town half owned by tax exempts, with a one year "demolition delay," the maximum extent of protection they can offer to all things historical--public or privately owned in Amherst.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette demonized the decision saying it "tested the boundaries of common sense." Coming from the Gazette, the Commission probably took that as a good sign.
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8 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 8:53 AM

    I wish someone would tear down that fence recently installed in front of the Dickinson homestead. That fence has got to be one of the ugliest monstositys (sp?) in the town of Amherst. I cringe everytime I drive by it...which is daily. It makes the Dickinson homestead look like a fortess - totally uninviting!!!

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  2. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 9:50 AM

    Sorry, but I love it! Great improvement, as is the removal of the white fence. It really opens the building up rather than having it walled off. People have too much time on their hands. Stop micromanaging the rest of the world.

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  3. Larry KelleySeptember 13, 2011 at 10:12 AM

    I like the gold emblem they repainted on the house.

    (Wonder if they got permission from the Design Review Board?)

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  4. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 10:27 AM

    So you love tearing down the white fence because it really opens up that property AND you also love the hideous fence at the Dickinson Homestead - that incidentally really closes off that property.

    Odd juxtaposition of like and dislike.

    BTW - I'm not trying to micromanage the world...just expressing an opinion. Isn't that what blogs are all about?

    I also like the gold emblem that has been repainted on the house.

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  5. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:53 AM

    Is the first picture misdated- or did they really do all the work in 4 days?
    Is Extreme Makeover Campus Edition Show filming in Amherst?

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  6. Larry KelleySeptember 13, 2011 at 12:47 PM

    Yeah, the dates are accurate. Amherst College had the entire fence down in one day (on the one year anniversary of the one year delay.)

    Hey, when you have the $ you can make things happen quickly.

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  7. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 6:17 PM

    the emily fence is an authentic reproduction. a testament to the fact that historic preservation is not always beneficial to the environment.

    the stonework is choice though!

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  8. Larry KelleySeptember 14, 2011 at 8:54 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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