Fall River Historical Commission
Operating as usual
This was just sent to us by one of our readers. Give it a listen, and let it transport you back in time for a few minutes!
https://youtu.be/qhoEKHpLZvw
Tom Clark composed this march in 1895. The march was composed for band and orchestra and arranged for piano by the composer.The Priscilla was a steamship of ...
And yet another of our historic properties is lost...
The demolition of Lizzie Borden’s grade school was completed after the 129th anniversary of the Borden murders.
A beautiful tale of our hidden gem, recently told on our local NPR station.
#bringbackthefalls #daylighthefalls #quequechanriver #quequechanfalls #quequechan #fallriver #fallriverma
Many cities are re-evaluating their wish list of public works projects as the Biden administration promises the biggest infrastructure bill in generations. In Fall River, one urban planner dreams of restoring the waterfalls that gave the city its name.
Photos from Kenneth Joseph Raposa's post
Photos from Fall River Development News's post
Essex Memorial Library in Tiverton has been transformed into an exclusive vacation rental. The owner leased the building to The Landmark Trust USA, a non-profit organization based in Vermont that rents properties that have been rehabilitated for the sake of preserving history and for use as vacation homes.
Would this work for historic properties in Fall River? If so, which ones?
Richard Epstein, a Vermont resident, spent three years renovating the one-time library into a rental property.
Photos from Fall River Development News's post
Please join the MBTA for a virtual Fall River Community Meeting on the South Coast Rail project. They will present an update on Phase 1, the Fall River Depot Station, Weaver's Cove Layover Facility, and the start of construction in Fall River. Following the presentation, the team will be available to answer questions.
Find out more and log on at:
https://www.mbta.com/events/2021-02-25/fall-river-south-coast-rail-virtual-meeting
We'd like to post a quick clarification for those of you who may have read this article before it was corrected by the reporter (corrected article is linked below.) The original article stated that the owner submitted his plans for the redevelopment project to the Historical Commission, which he did in fact do, but the article went on to state that we did not oppose the demolition.
That is unequivocally false.
The Sagamore Mill buildings are on the list of National Register of Historical Places and are also an important part of Fall River's manufacturing history. We expressed concerns over the complete demolition of the building and encouraged Mr. Silvia to rethink his plans.
Our only recourse in such situations is to enforce the six month waiting period for demolition, which Mr. Silvia respected. Beyond that, and our urgings and offers to help explore other options, there is no other recourse for stopping the demolition of such properties. This is why it is essential that the public take note of the sales of such buildings and hold our elected officials accountable for placing the proper historical restrictions into the sales agreements and deed. When the building was purchased, it was sold with the intent that it would be rehabilitated. Not destroyed. A historic preservation deed restriction would have made it much harder, or even impossible, for the owner to change his plans after purchase.
For now, this is another building we lose. But we can prevent this in the future. We need the public's support, and the support of this current administration, to do so.
A Fall River business owner is razing an old textile building in order to make room for a redevelopment project to include four new professional buildings.
This Wednesday at 7pm.
Viva Fall River wants to know what YOU think about arts, culture, local businesses, and more!
🙌Viva Fall River is a community-based arts, culture, and creative economy effort to increase support for arts, culture, and businesses and expand resources available to do cool things here in the city.
*****How can it improve residents’ lives, support businesses, and make our city more livable and beautiful?*****
*****Why is this effort important to me even if I am not an artist or consider myself “creative?”*****
💻Join us on Wednesday at 7pm online and have your voice heard. It's important that we hear from the residents of this City in order to create an action plan that reflects the people who can benefit the most from its success.
👍Sign up at bit.ly/VivaFallRiverOpenHouse
#vivafallriver #openhouse #fallriverartsandculture #fallriverma #weartfallriver #welovefallriver #FRACC
For those of you who are missing the beautiful Christmas decorations at the Fall River Historical Society...🎄
Since we cannot offer our annual event Deck the Halls! A Victorian Christmas Extravaganza, Featuring Our Famous Themed Trees, we bring you images of our tree...
Bedford Street police station sale in the pipeline
FALL RIVER — For more than two decades, the city has tried to successfully sell the century old Bedford Street police station and after a
He received only 32 votes. Still, Ed Hill is the newest member of Swansea's Community Preservation Committee.
SWANSEA – The one-day, low-budget campaign succeeded. Longtime resident Edward Hill won the available seat on the Community Preservation Committee
An interesting story, and well-done. There's so much we'll never know...
https://youtu.be/rEOhNRAra2k
The date is May 25th, 1927 - a week before Lizzie Borden dies at her home in Fall River, Massachusetts. Sitting on her porch, Lizzie has a visitor, a young F...
What would you like to see happen with these properties?
Fall River is home to thousands of historic properties, but many are at risk of being erased from their communities – either by neglect or demolition, according to a press release from the Fall River Preservation Society.Because the Preservation Society believes the city should be a leader in prot...
Fascinating account of what Fall River endured during the American Influenza Epidemic of 1918 ...Schools were closed for 3 weeks...churches- a month...businesses closed, restrictions on gatherings and funerals...sounds familiar, doesn't it?
These precautionary measures undoubtedly saved the lives of countless residents but the toll was still great:
"Between September 16 and the end of 1918, 11,707 cases of influenza were reported to the Fall River Board of Health. Of these cases, 719 died.40 For the period when the disease was considered epidemic – September 16 to October 31 – Fall River experienced 10,624 cases and 629 deaths. These figures are undoubtedly low, however, given that influenza was not a reportable disease until October 4."
Imagine how much worse it could have been had the elected leaders at the time not taken the measures they did.
#lessonsfromhistory #fallriverma #COVID19
In a sense, Fall River was caught between the anvil and the stone in the fall of 1918. Boston – epicenter of the influenza epidemic – was just 50 miles away, while Newport, Rhode Island and its naval stations was even closer, a scant 22 miles. Personnel from military installations near both citi...
N.B. Borden School Purchase & Sale Agreement Missing
The Preservation Society has asked the City to delay any demolition permit until the document can be found
Fall River Preservation Society
The City Council Committee on Real Estate will be meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 5:15 p.m. to discuss possible alternatives to the demolition of the Nathaniel B. Borden School on Morgan Street.
Anyone interested in voicing support for the preservation of this historic building is encouraged to attend. The meeting will be held in the City Council Chamber at Government Center.
A great example of what can happen when we choose to restore and preserve regional character rather than demolish and erase local history.
Would the downtown New Bedford we know today be the same place if not for the artful re-birth of the Star Store building through the @Mass Dartmouth College for Visual and Performing Arts?
Since the CVPA UMass Dartmouth has moved in, other businesses have sprouted up around the city block. Eateries like the Green Bean, Brick Pizzeria Napoletana, No Problemo and Spicy Lime have established themselves as successful additions to the downtown area. Fashion stores like Calico and The MadLila have also enjoyed the shopping traffic of the college-age patrons. And the impact doesn't stop there.
"Regret goes only one way."
Historic preservation has great value to a community- both cultural and practical! Old buildings can offer opportunities for a community’s future. What now-gone buildings of Fall River past do you miss most?
Preserving old buildings not only benefits a community's culture and identity, but also its businesses and local economy.
Happy Holidays from the Fall River Historical Commission!
The Historical Commission and Historic District Commission will be meeting tomorrow, December 3 at 6:30pm in the Hearing Room of City Hall. We have a full agenda which is posted on the city's website. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.
DEP investigating King Philip Mill demolition site; work halted
FALL RIVER — The demolition of King Philip Mill has stalled again and the state Department of Environmental Protection has confirmed it is
The demolition delay has run out, and unfortunately, the owner refused to meet with us to discuss options to demolition. So yet another historic property will be lost to the wrecking ball.
FALL RIVER — With just days until Lizzie Borden’s elementary school can be legally demolished, the Preservation Society of Fall River
Another landmark building repurposed into something useful and positive for the community! Historic preservation WORKS!
“I remember this mill and everything that was around here,” a tenant said. “To see it like this now is just absolutely wonderful. This is what Fall River needs: a beautiful, affordable place like this.”
Repairs set to begin on Fall River library roof
FALL RIVER — More than three years ago, the rubber roof on the historic and beloved Fall River Public Library started leaking, damaging the
Fall River Preservation Society
The Preservation Society was happy to present the Dr. Isaac Fiske House at the Community Preservation Committee’s annual meeting today! Dozens of groups and projects set up tables in City Hall to show the impact these funds are having in Fall River.
Oak Grove Cemetery was part of the 19th Century rural cemetery movement, where cemeteries were designed like gardens for relaxation and beauty.
Established in 1855, the 100-acre site was a forerunner of the modern park system and predated Fall River’s Olmsted recreational park system by half a century.
For a time, eating and relaxing among the dead was a national pastime.
Monday, July 15th, the Real Estate Committee will meet at 4:30 in city hall. The N.B. Borden school is on the agenda and will be discussing possible alternatives to demolition. It would be wonderful if we could have members of the public show up at the meeting to support efforts to save this important historical property. Please attend if you are able!
Let's hear it for #preservationprogress!
#UPDATE - Restoration work should resume on the William Connell School at 650 Plymouth Ave this summer. The school rehabilitation project will feature a bar with a small music venue, a coffee shop and four apartments when completed.
The Sherwood Building Company purchased the William Connell School at 650 Plymouth Ave from the City of Fall River in December of 2013.
John Saulino, Chairman of the Fall River Licensing Board, stated at their May meeting that Alex Stylos, CEO of the Sherwood Building Company, had called him to update the progress of the work at the school. Saulino said, Stylos is still waiting for the funds from the sale of the Argosy High School sale to finance the renovations of the Connell School. The sale was to have taken place in January, but has been delayed until June, according to Saulino. Once the sale closes on the Argosy High School, the funds will be used to complete the work on the Connell School, stated Saulino.
The Board made a motion continue the status of an entertainment license for the Sherwood Building Company.
In December, Stylos told the board that his workers were doing interior masonry and painting work. According to Stylos, the sprinkler systems are now working in the building and some finished spaces are now completed
The Fall River Historical Commission will be meeting tonight, June 18th, at 6:30 at City Hall. We will be discussing the Nathaniel B. Borden school, which is slated for demolition.
Preservation takes not only time but money. Sacrificing one for the many-the sale of this important important building in Fairhaven's history could mean the preservation of others!
"All earnings from the sale of the waterfront Victorian-style house and accompanying property will be put into an endowment fund to be managed by the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts. Under this restricted endowment, invested funds will only be used for the restoration of buildings and institutions in Fairhaven."
#preservation #historichomes #livinghistory
FAIRHAVEN — The relinquishing of an important building in the town’s history could mean the preservation of others.In 2017, it was
Sadly, another piece of our city's storied history may soon be lost to the wrecking ball.
FALL RIVER — A small-business owner and the Preservation Society of Fall River are at odds over the likely demolition of the historic N.B.
An update on St. Anne's Church...
#UPDATE - The St. Annes Preservation Society has just released the following statement on their official page:
'We know that everyone is waiting on news of St. Anne’s Church. We are constantly receiving requests for information as to what is going on, and this is perfectly okay and understandable. We expect this, especially as we have asked for donations. We will in this post explain what the St. Anne Shrine Preservation Society (the official name of our group) has been doing, and where things stand with regard to the future of St. Anne Church.
THE CHURCH: given that everyone is most interested in St. Anne Church, we’ll start there. Over the course of the last several months, discussions have been ongoing between us (the St. Anne Shrine Preservation Society) and the Diocese of Fall River, regarding the future of the Church of St. Anne. We feel these discussions have been very positive. We will not at this time reveal the content of these discussions; let us all remember, while the U.S. Constitution was being drafted in 1787, reports as to what was going on in the convention were not released. Out of respect for the process, we are not going to discuss specific details, but again, we have been most pleased with the nature of the discussions we have been having with the diocese. As soon as we feel we can reveal more, believe us when we tell you, YOU ALL WILL BE THE FIRST TO KNOW! For now, IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, please keep praying that God will guide all involved in these discussions toward the most positive outcome possible.
THE GROUP: We have successfully formed a Massachusetts nonprofit corporation, the St. Anne Shrine Preservation Society, and are presently in the process of obtaining tax-exempt status from the IRS. We are doing this, in order that any donations to the group will be tax-deductible. Given that repairs to the church will make it necessary to launch a capital campaign, we believe individuals and entities may be more willing to donate funds to such an effort if they realize they will gain a tax benefit from doing so. WE THANK EVERYONE FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS who has donated thus far toward our efforts.
As this process moves forward, we will continue to keep everyone informed as much as possible as to what is happening. We are truly sorry that we cannot provide more details at this time as to what is happening in the discussions that are being had, but we hope everyone will understand why we are unable to do so. We realize that St. Anne’s Church means an incredibly great deal to everyone who attended it, and to many in Fall River, and throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and the nation beyond. Know that we are doing all within our power to ensure that this sacred edifice does not vanish from Fall River’s skyline, and that it can continue to remain a Roman Catholic sacred place. We thank everyone for helping us carry out our mission.'
One Government Center
Fall River, MA
02722
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Chairperson Kristen Cantara Oliveira presents to the Flint Neighborhood Association and its supporters about historical preservation efforts in Fall River. Thank you to President Carlos Cesar and the esteemed Board for the invitation to speak to your neighbors.
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