Our Commonwealth
Preservation Across Massachusetts
In This Issue
Corporate Sponsors
Board of Directors/Staff
Support Preservation
Massachusetts!
Greetings
Cultural Diversity and
Preservation
Save the Date! Fall Event
Upham's Corner Tour
Flick or Treat at the Electric
Carriage House
Corporate Sponsors
Platinum / $25,000
Winn Development
Gold / $10,000
Boston Red Sox
Benefactor / $5,000
Bank of America
BayNorth Capital
Consigli Construction Co.,
Inc.
First Resource Development
Holland + Knight
Keith Construction Ltd.
Mira Development
October 2009
Fall Greetings!
As many of us head off to the National Preservation Conference next week, I hope
everyone is settling in for a very busy and exciting fall season. Here at PM, our
work and efforts continued unabated right through the summer. Again, let me thank
all our members for your continued support and generosity as we recently ended
our fiscal year in a good place.
As Anulfo Baez, writes in our lead article in this e-newsletter, cultural diversity is
proving to be one of preservation's greatest challenges. Many of us are of the same
culture maintaining the same values and we continue to misunderstand the cultures
and attitudes of communities we most want to support. PM is first to admit that we
need more diversity within our organization, from board representation to our
outreach efforts. We must strive to better understand the thinking of other cultures
and cannot automatically assume we all think about our heritage the same way. It
just isn't so. As preservationists who want to preserve our Commonwealth's diverse
history, we must open up to the cultures that make up that shared history.
In the past couple of days, Michele Barker, our Circuit Rider from Western
Massachusetts has shared with us that the home of James Weldon Johnson is on
the market in Great Barrington. I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't know who he
was. I have since learned that he was a distinguished and very well known
African-American poet , lawyer and educator. He was a colleague of W.E.B. Du
Bois and extremely important to our African-American community.
Michele also went on to report that St. Rachel's Church, a wonderful Stick-Style
church located in the center of the Old Hill neighborhood, an historic African-
American neighborhood in Springfield was in need of serious repair and that finding
funding for that restoration, because of the small congregation could be difficult.
Preservation has come a long way but we still have a long journey ahead. I believe
you will find Anulfo's article interesting, enlightening and most educational. He
speaks to you from his heart with preservation passion.
 Murtha Cullina LLP
Wessling Architects Inc. Thank you.
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin,
Inc.

Patron / $2,000 - $2,500

DAIQ/D'Agostino Izzo Quirk
Architects ¿Quién soy yo? Who am I?: Cultural
Epsilon Associates Diversity and Preservation
Finegold Alexander +
Associates
Written by Anulfo Baez
Forest City
Lee Kennedy Co., Inc. "Who are you?" This question always stirs deep
Nixon Peabody LLP emotions within me, for finding an answer is
never easy. The context in which it is asked will
The Architectural Team
result in a different response every time. Our
identity is shaped by the groups with which we
have become affiliated or with whom we share a
common thread. This is problematic as group identities like race and gender roles
******************** are socially constructed, forcing individuals who are part of a particular group to
Board of Directors take on an identity with which they may or may not identify. The "who are you"
question sheds light into the issue of diversity and the cultural nuances that are
proving to be a challenge for preservation. The January/February issue of
Jack Hodgkins-Chair Preservation magazine comes to mind as it is indicative of a much larger cultural
Pamela Bailey - Clerk issue that must be addressed in the field if it is to become inclusive in preserving
Philip A. Madonia- Treasurer everyone's history.

The magazine highlights the superb preservation work currently underway in Old
James G. Alexander, FAIA
San Juan, Puerto Rico and showcases the Latino preservation movement in the
Pamela Bailey United States. The message communicated through the use of the word
Daniel R. Benoit Preservación, however, was ambiguous and did not reflect the positive outlook that
Thomas F. Birmingham the story transmitted. When speaking of preservation in a Latin American context,
Jean Carroon, FAIA the word that immediately invokes the ideas of the American preservation
Kara Cicchetti
movement is conservación. The Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation Office
translated into Spanish would read "Oficina Estatal de Conservación Histórica
Stuart Gregerman
(OECH)." The choice of words as a native Spanish speaker do not convey a desire
Frank T. Keefe to be more inclusive in preservation, but instead it assumed that those who speak
Daniel Kolodner Spanish and English will understand the message behind it. The word
Todd McCabe Conservación would have taught readers a profound lesson in language and
James McDermott
culture, a message that could have broken language barriers.
Michael H. Rosenberg
Cultural diversity is proving to be preservation's greatest challenge. The
Yanni Tsipis preservation field must acknowledge that within the Spanish-speaking community
Rita Walsh there are a countless of differences in language and cultures.
Fran Weld
Claudia S. Wu Historically, preservation has done an outstanding job of preserving those places
that matter to people with economic power. Its successes have been driven by
those who possess a higher education and are politically savvy, calling attention to
Staff a particular resource and garnering the support from the community to save
James W. Igoe historically significant places from demolition. Unfortunately, not everyone is this
President privileged. The successes of preservation have also exposed its failures, in that
marginalized people who live in the periphery of major urban centers or in cities
where industry once employed hundreds of immigrants have now become
Erin D. A. Kelly
dilapidated battlegrounds for preservationists.
Assistant Director

Have we preservationists done enough in asking what is it that really matters to

 Anulfo G. Baez these communities? Have we inquired about their identity and listened carefully as
Office Manager to what the answers may be? I believe that the first step in working with
marginalized communities in this country is to create an enriching dialogue in which
questions of cultural identity are explored. My hope is that the responses will
Elsa Fitzgerald
facilitate in breaking the boundaries and closing the preservation gap that has many
Special Projects Manager
communities in a state of deterioration.

Intern In Boston, small non-profit organizations like Discover Roxbury and others are
Courtney Whelan working diligently to break the boundaries, and in the process empowering
community members and visitors to take pride in their neighborhood. Having lived
in and explored culturally diverse neighborhoods in Boston including Roxbury, I
Circuit Riders
witnessed on a daily basis the challenges that the preservation community faces.
In Parnership with Investing in education and engaging in dialogues involving identity and history is
the National Trust for key to halting the further decay of urban neighborhoods.
Historic Preservation
After a college semester studying abroad in Valparaiso, Chile, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, I journeyed along with my sister to the Dominican Republic in search
Michele P. Barker
Dorr Fox of the beauty and history I left behind as a child. Wandering among the stately
colonial churches and palaces of Old Santo Domingo, I realized why many of us
Steve Moga
Latinos living in the United States feel emotionally disconnected with the
architecture and surroundings. I sensed the pride and ownership people have in the
Support Preservation
history that is associated with these architectural treasures. We, as
Massachusetts!
preservationists, must work towards emotionally reconnecting the Latino
Community with the architectural resources that surround them, which also reflect
*********** their history in the United States.
Preservation Massachusetts
is entirely supported by our
Corporate and Individual Who am I? The question still remains a difficult one, but I am a Dominican who was
Members and Foundations. born in the Dominican Republic, raised in Boston with American citizenship. I also
consider myself an American, not because of my citizenship, but because I was
Find out about Corporate partially raised here and have developed a love for this country and its architectural
benefits, events, programs history. Who am I in the Dominican Republic? I am a Banilejo (from the province of
and take an active role in Bani), but also a Boca Canastero, from the town of Boca Canasta. I identify myself
preserving our as Latino when referring to the political power that we as a community possess in
Commonwealth.
this country. A power that is gradually being acknowledged by society and those
working in historic preservation.
Join or renew your
membership today! Anulfo Baez is Office Manager for Preservation Massachusetts. To contribute to the
www.preservationmass.org discussion of cultural diversity and preservation he can be reached at
abaez@preservationmass.org or post your comments directly to his blog.

Save the Date! Fall Preservation Event

October 28, 2009 5:00 PM Registration

Nixon Peabody, LLP
100 Summer Street
Mark your calendars and join
us on May 5th, 2010 for the
23rd Annual Awards Dinner Join us on Wednesday October 28, 2009 as we formally
at the Fairmont Copley Plaza announce the 2009 Massachusetts Most Endangered Historic Resources at Nixon Peabody LLP, 100
Hotel! Summer Street. The announcement will be followed by a Guest Speaker and networking cocktail
More details to follow in the reception! Join PM and your fellow preservation partners for a great evening!
coming months

Registration starts at 5:30PM and a $10 contribution is suggested. To RSVP please email Anulfo Baez
at abaez@preservationmass.org or call 617-723-3383.

Fall 2009 Lecture Series
on the History of the
Woburn Public Library
Lectures held at the Woburn
Public Library
October 15, 7:00PM
Timothy Orwig, Lecturer,
American Studies, Boston
University
Scrape it, Tart it up, or Wrap it
in the Flag? Early Debates
about Historic Preservation in
Massachusetts
November 5, 7:00PM
Chris Milford, AIA Milford and
Ford Associates
What to Preserve?
Understanding Strategies for
an Addition to the Library
Historic Barns in
Southeastern Massachusetts
Workshop
Barns are a treasured part of he bought five acres of land with a 19th-century barn in Great Barrington, converted the barn into a
the rural Massachusetts
landscape but are too quickly
becoming an endangered
species. Hear about the styles
of barns in Southeastern
Massachusetts, tips on
stabilizing barns until full
preservation can begin, and
how the Community
Preservation Act supports
historic preservation in other
Massachusetts towns.
Speakers include master
timberframer Ian Ellison and
other Massachusetts historic
Upham's Corner Past-Present-Future:
An Interactive Walking Tour
When: Saturday, October 17, 2009, 9:30am-12:30pm
Where: Meet at the Strand Theatre, 543 Columbia Road, Dorchester, MA
Did you know that Upham's Corner was known as "Cemetery Corner" in the 18th century? And that by
the early 1900s it was a bustling center of commercial activity, immigrant success stories, and
performing arts venues? How about the fact that the "world's first supermarket" was established in this
very neighborhood? This mobile workshop will give neighborhood business owners, residents and
visitors a chance to explore the lively history of Upham's Corner. From the establishment of Amos
Upham's dry goods store in 1804 - to the 1918 opening of the Strand Theatre, hailed as Dorchester's
"Million Dollar Photoplay Palace" - find out how the neighborhood became a mecca for immigrants and a
vital city center, and look at how its past successes can contribute to its future prosperity. Refreshments
will be served.
This event is FREE, but space is limited and reservations are required. Please RSVP to Jin Ho Kim,
Upham's Corner Main Street's Project Manager: jinho@uphamscorner.org or 617-265-0363
Co-produced by Upham's Corner Main Street and Boston Preservation Alliance with support from
Historic Boston Inc. and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Special Event: "Flick or Treat at the Electric
Carriage House"
When: Thursday, October 29th, 7-10 pm
Where: The Electric Carriage House, 321 Columbus Ave., Boston
The Boston Preservation Alliance will sponsor a special Halloween screening of
"Ghostbusters" on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at The Electric Carriage House,
321 Columbus Avenue, Boston. The evening will feature pizza donated by Upper
Crust, beer donated by Samuel Adams, as well as treats for your sweet tooth. A pre-screening party
starts at 7PM, with the film showing at 8PM.
Admission is free for Alliance members and $20 for non-members. RSVPs are required and costumes
are encouraged. A $100 gift certificate to Pierrot Bistrot restaurant will be awarded at the end of the
night to the best costume. Please contact Christine Piontek at 617-367-2458 or
cpiontek@bostonpreservation.org to reserve your seat or for more information
History on the Western MA Market
A significant site in African-American literary history has recently gone on the market in the Berkshires.
James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938), a prominent Harlem Renaissance writer and civil rights advocate,
created a summer home and writing retreat in Great Barrington, which he called "Five Acres." A lawyer
and educator as well as a writer, Johnson wrote fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. As an ethno-musicologist,
he traced the origins of African-American sacred music, collecting two volumes of songs for The Book of
Negro Spirituals (1925). During the 1910s, Johnson served as US consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua.
He became head of the NAACP during the 1920s, and led a national anti-lynching campaign. In 1926,
home, and created a rustic writing cabin that he used as a summer writing retreat until his death in 1938.
He wrote most of God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse at "Five Acres." At the moment,
there are no historic protections on the property that would keep the house from being demolished. We
hope that a buyer can be found who will appreciate the significance of the site and preserve the Johnson
house and writing cabin.
To see the house: http://www.applehillrealty.com/bigwjk.html
A biography of James Weldon Johnson: http://www.jamesweldonjohnson.emory.edu/sub-james.htm
Upper Housatonic Valley African American Heritage Trail
http://www.uhvafamtrail.org/about.html
preservation specialists. Submit
pictures of local barns with
specific questions to Kelley
Whitmore,
kwhitmore@ttor.org. Please
know we may not be able to
cover all submissions. Pre-
registration via email to Kelley
is requested but not required.
FREE
Monday, November 16 -
6:30PM at Bristol County
Agricultural High School
Library, 135 Center St., Dighton View the church on PM's Flickr page!
Learn More: Saint Rachel's Church, Springfield
St. Rachel's Church on Eastern Avenue in Springfield is located in the center of the Old Hill
neighborhood, a historic African-American neighborhood. This Stick-Style building was originally owned
by the YMCA before it was purchased by St. Rachel's congregation in the 1950s.
Churches like St. Rachel's provide important support systems in this neighborhood, which, like many
urban neighborhoods, has been struggling with absentee landlords, deteriorating properties,
unemployment, and crime. Church maintenance can be a challenge, and St. Rachel's presently needs
assistance for essential repairs to the building's exterior and upgrading of interior facilities to better serve
the congregation and the neighborhood.

New England Museum

Association

Join us November 11-13 in

Nashua, NH for the NEMA
Annual Conference.
Register now for the 2009
NEMA Conference!
Register for conference and
reserve your hotel room today!
The complete program book is
available to download at
www.nemanet.org/conf09