Martha's Vineyard House Saved
By Margaret Foster | Online Only | Dec. 21, 2010
North Water Street on Martha's Vineyard is among the island's most picturesque: historic houses, white picket fences, and landscaped lawns. For the past several years, however, neighbors worried that the Edgartown Public Library would tear down one of the street's houses for a parking lot.
Library officials, seeking to expand the 1904 Andrew Carnegie-funded building at 58 North Water Street, bought the adjacent Greek Revival-Federalist Warren House five years ago for $3.5 million. Three years ago, the town's Historic District Commission approved demolition of the house, built c. 1830, for a new wing of the library. The state also approved the plan. That project fizzled, however, because the library could not raise private money for the ambitious expansion.
At a public meeting earlier this month, the library presented a new plan that again included demolition of the Warren House, this time for a parking lot. However, the commission said that it would not allow the demolition of the house, which is part of the Edgartown Historic District.
"It is the intent of the Historic District Commission to save houses that are within the historic district," says James Cisek, the commission's chairman. "There are a lot of people that feel that the Warren House should be preserved."
Although the commission did not make a formal vote at its Dec. 7 meeting, it has the authority to prevent the demolition.
"A tremendous amount of neighbors came out and questioned the demolition of the building, and questioned the scale of this project," says Chris Scott, former chairman of the library's building committee, who stepped down from the position last week. Scott is also director of the Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust. "Quite honestly, since I've spent my career in preservation, I thought the comments were spot on."
Now the library's building committee must consider new ways to expand the Edgartown Library. According to Scott, it is considering another site entirely: a former elementary school, abandoned for about a decade. "We're looking at that [school] site now as an option."
Scott predicts that the town will likely sell the Warren House to a private owner who will restore the property.
"It's a happy ending in terms of preservation," Scott says. "You have a very activist neighborhood and a Historic District Commission that has a very clear preservation ethic and the ability to enforce it."
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Comments
Submitted by RJP3 at: December 29, 2010
Hey HP Professional --- they decided a PARKING LOT was not a good thing to replace this beautiful historic home. Not that hard to follow.
Submitted by Frequent Cape Visitor at: December 29, 2010
Glad to hear the prettiest town in the Cape area (in my opinion) keeps its architecture intact AND considers updating a vacant former school building. It's a win-win vs. a parking lot - no brainer!
Submitted by Historic Preservation Professional at: December 22, 2010
So, I'm confused. Three years ago, the Historic District Commission approved the proposed demolition, and now, a mere three years later, the Historic District Commission says it will not approve the demolition. Would someone care to explain (or justify) that type of schizophrenic decision-making to me, please? No wonder historic preservation seems arbitrary, confusing and frustrating to most people.