Preservation Massachusetts

Historic District/Historic Commissions Committee

Expanding Preservation Education:

Local Historic Preservation Workshops for 2008

The Historic Districts/Historic Commission Committee of Preservation Massachusetts has scheduled 6 workshops for 2008.

Preservation 101 An Introduction to Historic  Preservation will be held at the Fall River Library, 104 North Main Street , Fall River , on Thursday, February 28 from 4 to 6 PM

Preservation 301, Introduction to the National Register of Historic Places Program will be held at the Topsfield Town Library, 1 South Common Street , Topsfield, on Thursday April 10 from 4 to 6 PM.

Preservation 201 Workshop on MHC Historic Property Inventory  Forms will be held in the meeting room at Greenfield Community College Downtown Center, 270 Main Street , Greenfield , on Wednesday, April 30 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM.   

Preservation 101 An Introduction to Historic  Preservation  workshop is planned for the Fitchburg area in the fall. The date and place to be announced.

Preservation 201 Workshop on MHC Historic Property Inventory  Forms Program workshop will be held at the Brigham Hill Community Barn, 37 Wheeler Road, North Grafton, on September 18 from 6:30 to 8:30

Preservation 301, Introduction to the National Register Program of Historic Places is planned for the Springfield area in the fall. The date and place to be announced.

The public is welcome to all these workshops. 

For further information on Workshops sponsored by Preservation Massachusetts, contact Elsa Fitzgerald at elsafitzgerald@aol.com or call 978-979-9707

February 28, 2008: Preservation 101

Presented by Preservation Massachusetts

Fall River Library, 104 North Main Street, Fall River. 4 to 6 PM

Click to view directions to the Fall River Library

This is a free preservation workshop and the public is welcome

  
Preservation Massachusetts, a statewide non-profit organization that actively promotes the preservation of historic buildings and landscapes as a positive force for economic development, tourism and the retention of community character, will lead a preservation planning workshop for the region. The workshop is intended to inform attendees on the basic techniques of historic preservation planning at the local level.  Historical and local historic district commission members, planners, and interested public from the region are encouraged to attend. 

For planning purposes please RSVP to Elsa Fitzgerald at elsafitzgerald@aol.com or 978-979-9707.

Preservation 101 will introduce the critical preservation tools available to
communities and their historical commissions.  Among the tools that will be
discussed are architectural surveys, the National Register of Historic 
Places, demolition delay bylaws, and preservation restrictions.  PRESERVATION 101 will also present the array of organizations and agencies, large and small,
which make up the preservation partnership.  There are many entities that can
assist the local commissioner and his/her colleagues in maintaining a town’s
sense of place and character.

This is an excellent opportunity for new commissioners to get a good overview of work of historical commissions.  It is also an opportunity for 
commissioners who would like to know more about the latest guidelines on surveys, and those with particular questions about using these tools in their communities.

April 10, 2008: Preservation 301:

An Introduction to the National Register of Historic Places Program

Presented by Preservation  Massachusetts
In collaboration with the Massachusetts  Historical Commission 
Sponsored by the Essex National Heritage Commission

Topsfield Town Library, 1 South Common Street , Topsfield, 4 to 6 PM.

Click to view directions to the Topsfield Library

This is a free preservation workshop and the public is welcome

Preservation  Massachusetts, a statewide non-profit organization that actively promotes the preservation of historic buildings and landscapes as a positive force for economic development, tourism and the retention of community character, will lead a preservation workshop for the Topsfield and Essex County community.

The workshop is intended to inform attendees about the importance of developing a National Register Program for your community. Local historical commission and historic district members, planners, historians, members of municipal and non profit organizations, and interested public from Essex County and surrounding communities are encouraged to attend. 

For planning purposes, please RSVP to Elsa Fitzgerald at

elsafitzgerald@aol.com   or  978-979-9707

Preservation 301 provides an overview of the National Register of Historic Places program, the country’s primary means of recognizing and honoring places significant for their contributions to local, state, and national history. Learn how properties qualify for National Register listing, what it means to be listed on the National Register, the steps in the nomination process, and how to generate interest in National Register designation. This workshop was originally presented at the Statewide Preservation Conference in Boston and over 80 attendees from across the Commonwealth were very pleased with the information that was delivered in the workshop.

The Meeting Room at Greenfield Community College Downtown Center, 270 Main Street, Greenfield, 4:30 to 6:30 PM.

Click to view directions to Greenfield Community College Downtown Center

The workshop is intended to inform attendees about how to complete MHC Historic Property Inventory Forms. Local historical commission and historic district members, planners, historians, members of municipal and non profit organizations, and interested public from Greenfield and surrounding communities are encouraged to attend. 

For planning purposes, please RSVP to Elsa Fitzgerald at elsafitzgerald@aol.com   or  978-979-9707

The community-wide survey is a preservation planning and research tool.
Completing a comprehensive inventory represents a town’s historical development by being chronologically and geographically comprehensive, and reflecting a full range of historic resource types within a community. Preservation 201 will assist you to  meet those goals and include topics such as organizing a survey project and  identifying local survey priorities, developing historic contexts, use of  architectural terms in drafting property descriptions, and completing historic  property inventory forms, with a focus on Form B-Building.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2008: PRESERVATION 201:
Workshop on MHC Historic Property Inventory Forms
Presented by Preservation  Massachusetts
In collaboration with the Massachusetts  Historical Commission 

Sponsored by the J ohn H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission

Brigham Hill Community Barn, 37 Wheeler Road, North Grafton, 6:30 to 8:30 PM

Click to view directions to the Brigham Community Barn

The following links are Preservation Workshop Supplemental Information

Historic Preservation Websites

Selected Readings

Administration of Your Local Historic District Commission

If you would like more information about the HD/HC Committee or their programs, please contact Elsa Fitzgerald, Preservation Massachusetts at elsafitzgerald@aol.com or at 978-979-9707.

Workshop Descriptions

Preservation 101:

Preservation Massachusetts is a statewide non-profit organization that actively promotes the preservation of historic buildings and landscapes as a positive force for economic development, tourism and the retention of community character.

Preservation 101 is a preservation planning workshop for a regional area. The workshop is intended to inform the attendees about the purposes and administration of local preservation planning tools. Local historic district and historical commission members, planners, historians, real estate professionals and interested public from surrounding communities are encouraged to attend.

The Historic District and Historic Commission Committee of Preservation Massachusetts introduces the basic concepts of preservation planning on a local level and introduces attendees to the array of organizations and agencies that make up the preservation constellation. There are many entities both large and small that can assist the local commissioner and his/her colleagues in maintaining a community’s sense of place and character. Tools that are available to the local historic preservation community, such as architectural surveys, listing on the National Register of Historic Places, demolition delay bylaws, and preservation restrictions, are discussed.

Preservation 201:

The Historic District and Historic Commission Committee of Preservation Massachusetts has developed a training module in collaboration with the Massachusetts Historical Commission entitled Preservation 201: MHC Historic Property Forms .

The workshop is intended to inform attendees about how to complete MHC Historic Property Inventory Forms. Local historical commission and historic district members, planners, historians, members of municipal and nonprofit organizations, and the interested public from surrounding communities are encouraged to attend.

The community-wide survey is a preservation planning and research tool. Completing a comprehensive inventory represents a town’s historical development by being chronologically and geographically comprehensive, and reflecting a full range of historic resource types within a community. Preservation 201 aims to meet those goals and include topics such as organizing a survey project and identifying local survey priorities, developing historic contexts, use of architectural terms in drafting property descriptions, and completing historic property inventory forms, with a focus on Form B-Building.

Preservation 301: Overview of the National Register Program

Preservation Massachusetts developed Preservation 301 to provide an overview of the National Register of Historic Places program, the country’s primary means of recognizing and honoring places significant for their contributions to local, state, and national history. Learn how properties qualify for National Register listing, what it means to be listed on the National Register, the steps in the nomination process, and how to generate interest in National Register designation. This workshop was originally presented at the Statewide Preservation Conference in Boston and over 80 attendees from across the Commonwealth were very pleased with the information that was delivered in the workshop.

Preservation 301, Overview of the National Register Program has been developed by the Historic District/Historic Commission Committee of Preservation Massachusetts in collaboration with the Massachusetts Historical Commission. The workshop will discuss the NR program in terms of:

•  What is the National Register of Historic Places?

•  How do you develop a National Register Program for your community?

Collaborating Organizations

Preservation  Massachusetts,formally known as Historic Massachusetts, Inc.,
was established in 1985 by citizens concerned with strengthening advocacy
for our state’s valuable historic resources, our neighborhoods, buildings and
landscapes. Today, Preservation Massachusetts works in partnership with national, state and local preservation organizations and individuals across the Commonwealth to preserve our heritage. Preservation 301 was developed by the Historic Districts/Historical Commissions Committee of Preservation Massachusetts. The committee is composed of historicpreservation professionals working at the state and local level, and volunteers its time and experience to help inform local preservation groups about the many preservation resources and preservation planning practices in the state.

The Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) is a state agency within the office of William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth. The mission of MHC is to identify, evaluate and protect the historic and archaeological resources of the Commonwealth. Among its responsibilities, the MHC oversees the National Register Program, preservation planning programs including survey and local government programs, federal and state review and compliance, and federal and state grant programs.