DUXBURY HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MEETING MINUTES
Date: October 15, 2002
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Town Manager’s Office, Old Town Hall
Present: Jody Hall, Martha Himes, Nicki Kispert, Norman Tucker, Nancy Bennett, Susanna Sheehan, Wayne Dennison
Also Present: Sally Wilson
Call to Order: 7:09 PM
Reading of Minutes: Minutes of September 19, 2002 were read. Ms. Himes moved the minutes be accepted with corrections; Mr. Tucker seconded. Motion carried 7-0.
Open Forum: Nothing presented.
Demolition Applications: The side porch on the Nathaniel Windsor House is in deplorable condition. Its removal will bring the house back to early specifications. There is no documentation indicating actual age of the porch. The Massachusetts Historical Commission has approved its removal (their approval is necessary because of certain deed restrictions attached to the house.
31 Matakeeset Court: buildings are dated from 1930, 1935, 1954. A letter
from the commission expressing our desire to see individual applications
for each building at appropriate intervals will be generated.
Guest: Ms. Wilson answered many questions regarding her experience with early efforts to establish a Local Historic District in Duxbury. There were two efforts to her knowledge. The first around 1973 in which a consultant suggested making the entire town a Local Historic District. The second attempt centered on 24 structures on High Street. The effort failed to get a 2/3 majority vote by 18 votes at Town Meeting. From Ms. Wilson’s perspective, it is essential to have the support first of the Town Manager and the Selectmen. Some initial groundwork should be laid prior to asking the Selectmen to appoint a LHDSC. Possible neighborhoods might be Tinkertown, Cove St./Abrams Hill/Cedar St., Washington St./St. George St./ Powder Point, Duck Hill Road, Millbrook/Bow Street. Ms. Wilson stated that if the timing is right, she would
be willing to work on the project.
John Alden Cellar Hole Site: Ms. Kispert attended the selectmen’s meeting. The site currently is in the school department’s hands. We must be proactive with the MHC and get all the LHD information we have to them.
Inventory: Ms. Himes has compiled a rough list for Powder Point. There are about 60 houses with roughly 40 more to include. The grant money has not come in to date.
Wright Library: Nothing major to report.
Miscellaneous: Chris Skelly is having a new printing made of the booklet on setting up a LHDSC. We should draft an article for the Clipper to broach the idea of establishing a LHD. Mr. Dennison suggested we choose a portion of Duxbury that everyone knows and cares about; i.e. Washington St.—something highly visible that means a lot to the townspeople.
Action Items: Ms. Himes will copy files for MHC, look for High St. by-laws files, begin drafting letter for selectmen re appointing a LHDSC. Mr. Dennison will bring a selection of bylaws from other towns pertinent to LHD. All members should come prepared with a selection of names to suggest to the selectmen.
XI. Next Meeting: November 21, 2002 7:00 PM
Adjournment: Ms. Himes moved the meeting be adjourned. Ms. Bennett seconded. Motion carried 7-0. Meeting adjourned at 9:12 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Josephine M. Hall
Secretary
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