Fall River Historical Commission

04/22/2022

SouthCoast Wonders: Why are Olmsted parks important? The history of 8 Fall River projects

https://www.heraldnews.com/story/news/history/2022/04/21/southcoast-wonders-history-8-fall-river-olmsted-park-projects/7363056001/

Today marks the 200th birthday of famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. From parks to churches, his firm left a mark on Fall River.

01/11/2022

Fall River Historical Commission updated their business hours.

Fall River Historical Commission updated their business hours.

09/01/2021

Priscilla March and Two-Step

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 ...

08/06/2021

PS: Nathaniel B. Borden School Demolition

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.

06/27/2021

Chasing waterfalls in Fall River

A beautiful tale of our hidden gem, recently told on our local NPR station.

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.

06/23/2021

Photos from Kenneth Joseph Raposa's post

04/06/2021

Photos from Fall River Development News's post

03/30/2021

Historic Tiverton library gets a second life. Here's how you can stay in the special place.

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.

03/18/2021

Photos from Fall River Development News's post

02/25/2021

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

02/24/2021

Fall River businessman knocking down Sagamore Mill; here's what he has planned for the site

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.

02/22/2021

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

12/17/2020

Fall River Historical Society: Our Christmas Trees and Decorations through the Years

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...

07/21/2020

Bedford Street police station sale in the pipeline

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

06/24/2020

He received only 32 votes. Still, Ed Hill is the newest member of Swansea's Community Preservation Committee.

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

05/31/2020

Tea with Lizzie Borden (2020)

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...

05/19/2020

Photos: Fall River's most endangered properties

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...

03/20/2020

Fall River, Massachusetts and the 1918-1919 Influenza Epidemic | The American Influenza Epidemic of 1918: A Digital Encyclopedia

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.

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...

02/26/2020

N.B. Borden School Purchase & Sale Agreement Missing

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

02/17/2020

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.

01/19/2020

Star Light Star Bright: The Star Store shines brightly once again in downtown New Bedford

A great example of what can happen when we choose to restore and preserve regional character rather than demolish and erase local history.

UMass Dartmouth College for Visual and Performing Arts continues to spark new business growth in New Bedford after 20 years

01/03/2020

Six Practical Reasons to Save Old Buildings | National Trust for Historic Preservation

"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.

12/24/2019

Happy Holidays from the Fall River Historical Commission!

12/03/2019

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.

11/20/2019

DEP investigating King Philip Mill demolition site; work halted

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

10/16/2019

One last push to save Lizzie Borden's old school

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

10/09/2019

Fall River's new Knitting Mill Apartments are just about full

Another landmark building repurposed into something useful and positive for the community! Historic preservation WORKS!

FALL RIVER — Donna Tolchinsky recalled the former Wamanoag Mill of her youth as having been a busy place at the heart of the city’s

08/30/2019

Repairs set to begin on Fall River library roof

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

08/13/2019

Photos from Fall River Preservation Society's post

07/22/2019

Remembering When Americans Picnicked in Cemeteries

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.

07/14/2019

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!

06/25/2019

Let's hear it for !

- 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

06/18/2019

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.

06/03/2019

Sale of historic Fairhaven home to start endowment fund

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."

FAIRHAVEN — The relinquishing of an important building in the town’s history could mean the preservation of others.In 2017, it was

06/01/2019

Lizzie Borden's Fall River school likely to be demolished

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.