Arrowstreet architect Emily Grandstaff-Rice told the May 22 School Building Committee meeting that the existing elementary school is included in the Harvard Center Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Although the building is considered a “noncontributing” element in the district, she said the town is still required to get the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s consent to demolish it after the new school is built, and Arrowstreet will file the necessary paperwork to obtain that consent.
The National Register of Historic Places is a list of the “nation’s historic places worthy of preservation.” The list is maintained by the National Park Service, and the Harvard Center Historic District was added to the list in 1997. The national district is larger than the local Harvard Common Historic District; it includes 110 buildings, 17 of which are classified as “noncontributing,” which means that they do not contribute to the historical significance of the district. Because the elementary school is one of the noncontributing buildings, Grandstaff-Rice told the committee that she does not anticipate any difficulties with getting permission to demolish it.
Although the existing school is not in the local historic district, ambiguities remain as to the inclusion or exclusion of the new school. One corner of the new school will lie within the local district boundaries, which, according to town bylaws, puts the whole school in the district. But Town Administrator Tim Bragan told the building committee at its May 16 meeting that Town Counsel Mark Lanza said it was his legal opinion that the new school is excluded from the local historic district.
Lanza’s opinion is based on a handwritten note that appears near the Bromfield School on a district map that states “new school buildings excluded.” The Harvard Historical Commission maintains that the note is ambiguous and may only apply to buildings on the Bromfield School lot. The commission intends to bring two alternative bylaws to a Special Town Meeting in the fall to let voters decide if the exclusion should apply only to the Bromfield lot or to both school building lots.
The building committee is moving forward based on Lanza’s opinion. But members have said they would like to develop a collaborative relationship with the town’s Historical Commission, and some will attend the June 6 Historical Commission meeting to present the latest building plans. On the following day, June 7, the School Building Committee will meet to try to finalize the exterior design (see “Architects hear design concerns from building committee”).
