PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
The demolition of this house at 57 Rockland Street in Swampscott has been put on hold until members of the Swampscott town meeting votes to make all of Rockland Street a historic district or not.
By GAYLA CAWLEY
SWAMPSCOTT — The proposed demolition of the Henry Hall House has prompted a push to not only preserve the property, but turn the street into a historic district.
George and Sarah Wattendorf, owners of the 1840’s Gothic Revival home and carriage house at 57 Rockland St., applied for a demolition permit in September. The couple, managers of Oceanview Real Estate LLC, bought the property last fall for $895.000.
Justina Oliver, chairwoman of the Historic District Study Committee, said the age of the building triggered a bylaw designed to protect historic dwellings. If a property is 75 years or older and is deemed historically significant, the Historical Commission can delay demolition.
In January, the Historical Commission enacted a nine-month delay.
Before it expires in October and the owners can apply for another demolition permit, she said the commission will negotiate with the Wattendorfs to find alternatives to demolishing the home.
“The commission tries to work quickly so we can come up with a reasonable agreement,” Oliver said.
But Oliver said it appears there have been some violations to the bylaw. In April, the commission were notified that windows and gutters were being removed. Nothing on the exterior of the home is supposed to be touched during the demolition delay and the owner must cease all work.
The bylaw calls for a fine of up to 10 percent of the property’s value or a restriction of up to two years, where owners would be unable to get a building permit for any work.
Last fall, residents attended a public hearing on the demolition permit by the Historical Commission. They questioned how the home and the character of the neighborhood could be preserved. The idea for a local historic district was the result, which would include 39 houses, including most of the properties on Rockland Street, two properties on Redington Street, one on Rose Street and a house on Highland Street.
If the district is approved, demolition or any large addition to those designated homes would have to be approved by the Historic District Commission.
A public hearing will be held by the Historic District Study Committee on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Senior Center. Residents will have a chance to voice their opinions on the proposed historic district.
Town Meeting on May 16 would have to approve the new historic district. If it passes, the district would then be submitted to the Massachusetts Historical Commission, if any changes are made from the preliminary study report on the Rockland Street Historic District that was sent to them in February. The report would also be submitted to the Attorney General, and once approved, it would be filed at the Essex Registry of Deeds.
A 1993 Swampscott Historic District inventory, conducted by Claire Dempsey, a local historian, identified four properties on Rockland Street as historically significant, including 57 Rockland St. The survey was conducted after the town received a $12,000 grant from Massachusetts Historical Commission in 1992 to identify and evaluate the town’s historic resources.
The Historic District Commission oversees four properties in its local historic district including the Frederick Law Olmsted Subdivision, Swampscott Fish House, Swampscott Railroad Depot, and Swampscott Cemetery with Andrews Chapel. Action on the originally appointed Historic District Study Committee began four years ago when Captain Jack’s Inn, a historic inn on Humphrey Street, was demolished and replaced by a condominium complex, raising public concern, according to town documents.
Drew Epstein of Rockland Street said he’s lived within a quarter mile of the Henry Hall house for most of the 40 years he’s lived in Swampscott. He said the house is part of the history of the town.
“If this house was razed, it would be a detriment to the neighborhood,” he said. “I would like to see it preserved as is to as great an extent as possible. The exterior of the house should stay fairly intact or be preserved as something that is architecturally appropriate for the property.”
The Henry Hall house is named after its original owner, a Boston merchant. It was was built on the crest of Wenepoykin Hill, an area of large stylish residences, densely settled on the hill to take advantage of water views, according to town documents.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley
