Grace Episcopal Church Tower Restoration Letters of Support and Petition Comments
1. Petition Text with 720 Signatures and Selected Comments 2 2. Keith Jones, Friends of Farlow Park 5 3. John H. Martin, AIA, Newtonville Historic District Commissioner 6 4. Russel Feldman, AIA 7 5. Anne M. Larner 8 6. Robert Tuchmann 9 7. Sheila Donahue 10 8. Paul Dudek, Auburndale Historic District Commissioner 11 9. Daphne Romanoff 12 10. Tarik J. Lucas, Newtonville Historic District Commissioner 13 11. Dante Capasso, Auburndale Historic District Commissioner 14 12. Peter Dimond, Newton Historical Commission 15 13. Laurel Farnsworth, President, Newton Cultural Alliance 16 14. Joe Duffy, III of Church Bell Specialties 17 15. Candace Havens 18 16. Mary Malagodi 19 17. Paul Holtz, Massachusetts Historical Commission 20 18. Doug Cornelius, Newton Historical Commission 21 19. Scott Oran 22 20. Diane Sakakini-Rao 23 21. Dan Shaw 24 22. Peter Vieira, Chair, Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission 25 23. Jay Walter 26 24. Claudia Wu 27 25. Brooke K. Lipsitt 28 26. Margaret Angelini, Carillonneur of Wellesley College 29 27. Anne Priestley, LICSW, Riverside Community Care 30 28. Laura Johnson 31 29. Lisa Dady, Director of Historic Newton 32
Updated January 29, 2021 Grace Tower Restoration Petition 720 electronic signatures as of 01/11/2021 43% from ZIP Code 02458 (Newton Corner) Text of Petition This petition should be completed only by residents of (owners and renters) and/or taxpayers on properties located in Newton, MA. Read the statement below, sign the petition after the statement to agree, and add your own comments if you wish. More than one individual per household can sign the petition. Thank you for supporting our efforts to save the Grace Tower!
As Newton residents, we support the proposal under review by the Community Preservation Committee for the purpose of providing CPA funds to help stabilize and restore Grace Church’s tower in Newton Corner. This structure has marked the land of Newton Corner and the Farlow and Kenrick Parks Historic District since 1873. The grandeur of the towering structure and the music that emanates from the Eldredge Chime is a public asset.
The tower’s preservation is a matter of public good by preserving a dominant architectural feature and historic resource within a prized neighborhood of the City of Newton. We are asking the Community Preservation Committee and Newton City Council to assist in preserving the tower through the appropriation of necessary Community Preservation Act funds.
You can access the full proposal here: https://www.newtonma.gov/government/planning/community-preservation- program/proposals-projects/grace-episcopal-church-tower-restoration
Select Public Comments from Online Petition Form
““I am not a member of Grace Church and practice a different faith; however, it is very important that we preserve our historical architecture regardless of where we find it. Preservation of historic landmarks supersedes any religious beliefs and is part of the public good. Please fund this worthy and important project.” –Lisa G.
“I have lived in Newton for over 32 years and wholeheartedly support the Grace Tower Restoration Project. The Grace Tower is a majestic structure that defines the landscape of the community and the city.” —Paul W.
“This tower has been a landmark and a bulwark to our community for nearly 150 years. Please help it to remain a beacon!” —Carol M.
“We have lived at our Kenrick St. residence for 54 years. From the very first year, we frequently went to meetings at Grace Church, and this building has been central to neighborhood
2 discussions of community issues for every year since that time. It is a handsome building, but more important, it represents a neighborhood gathering place and landmark, more so with the beautiful restoration of Farlow Park. Grace Church and its tower have great community significance to people of all faiths, who have gathered here - and will continue to do so for meaningful personal and City-wide events. Please help save this tower!” —Connie & Bill K.
“The church and its spire are a lovely anchor to one end of Farlow Park as Eliot Church is to the other. Both contribute greatly to the sense of neighborhood in an area with elegant homes and green spaces. The carillon is lovely and will be lost if the spire has to go. This seems like a perfect use of historic preservation funding for keeping the town’s character intact.” —Myra F.
“Grace Church is an incredibly beautiful and important historical landmark in the city of Newton. My children went to Underwood school, and to this day I often stop to admire the beauty of the Church when turning onto Eldredge Street. It is difficult to place a monetary value on the benefits to all residents of Newton to live in a city that has these historical gems of architecture and to be surrounded with such beauty during our everyday lives. I fully support the spending of CPA funds, to which my taxes contribute, towards the restoration of the bell tower.” —Lauren P.
“While I am not a member of Grace Church, I am a lifelong Newtonian, and have great admiration for Grace Tower, and have enjoyed the music of its chime many, many times. —Erika S.
“The tower is an historic landmark that complements the recently renovated Farlow Park.” —Harry R.
“The building with its tower has been an anchor in its historic district, a landmark for its own history but also as a "navigational" landmark for neighbors and visitors. It is an important piece of the city fabric and its villages.” —Anne S.
“This is an important, beautiful piece of Newton’s history, and I hope the city can pull together to save it.” —Doug J.
“Money well spent to keep our town unique and beautiful. Thank you for your efforts.” —Olga W.
“Historically and architecturally a treasure for the whole community of Newton.” –Judy M.B.
“Please preserve this beautiful tower in Newton Corner. The architecture of this church adds grace, literally, to this residential neighborhood and helps heal the wounds caused by the destruction of the original Newton Corner commercial neighborhood with the installation of the Pike and the ‘circle of death’ just 2 blocks from here.” –Carolyn L.
3 “Preserving non-commercial, non-residential landmarks like the Grace Church is essential to preserving the feel of Newton as a community of real persons and not just residents or commuters.” –Robert A.
“I support the use of CPA funds to stabilize and restore Grace Church's tower. The church and the district are an important part of Newton's history. Neighborhoods and churches do not get built like this anymore. The tower restoration project needs the funds.” –Karen B.
“The Tower must be preserved! It is an important part of our community, and a sound that has been apart of my entire life. I cannot imagine what it would be like without it.” –Michael F.
“Thank you for doing this. I cringe every time I see the ‘tower’/antenna of the Newtonville church.” –Francoise L.M.
“It would be nice to hear those bells again!” –Sergio S.
“I am a professor of Theology at Boston College and a Newton resident. When I have assigned my students over the years to visit local churches and synagogues, I always cite Grace Church and especially its amazing bell tower as an example of what is arguably the most beautiful example of English gothic architecture perhaps in all of Boston (superior architecturally even to the tower of the Church of the Covenant in Back Bay). It would be a great loss were our community to lose this gem. It restoration and strengthening so it magnificent bells can once more ring out over Newton would be a great gift to our town.” –John M.
“An important institution in this community and worthy of support.” –Margie P.
“Please help maintain the Farlow Park complete circle of historically related buildings... only one left in Newton!!” –William L.
“We would not want to see the same thing happen to this very historic church that happened in Newtonville to the bell tower/spire of the former Methodist church. . . It makes us sad and regretful every time we see it. These beautiful buildings need to be preserved.” –Elizabeth S.
“I am the crossing guard at this corner and it is truly a beautiful site to work.” –Zaida A.
“As a long-time member of the Grace church parish I am dedicated to preserving an attractive architectural presence in our Farlow Park community. We need the grant we are requesting for Newton's Community Preservation funds to be able, along with significant donations from members of our parish (and my family will be making a major gift) to enable the full restoration of our bell tower and spire for our several communities.” –John H.
83 submissions of “Please save the tower!”
4 December 17, 2020
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and Newton City Councilors,
I am ecstatic that the Community Preservation Committee has voted in favor of the steeple renovation of Grace Church at the corner of Eldredge and Church Streets in Newton Corner. It handsomely sits beside Farlow Park that has recently been renovated with the help of the CPC and Newton’s City Council.
This statuesque tower provides a beautiful three dimensionality to the neighborhood and has done so for well over a century. Also its carillon of bells provides a delightful soundscape during times of celebration. So for the CPC to vote in favor of this restoration project seems highly appropriate. Without the City’s support this structure will have to be torn down. Please do not let this happen. This project comfortably fits within the qualifications for Historic Preservation and Restoration in the Community Preservation Act and there is more than adequate precedent in surrounding communities for city support of privately owned structures.
I hope you will vote in favor of this worthy project.
Keith Jones. President of the Friends of Farlow Park 109 Vernon Street Newton, MA 02458 617-928-3343
5 6 Russel Feldman 85 Langley Road Newton Centre, MA 02459
November 28, 2020 ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION ONLY
The Newton City Council 1000 Commonwealth Avenue Newton, MA
Subject: CPC Application for Grace Church Tower Restoration
Dear Members of the City Council:
I am writing in support of the use of CDC funds to repair and restore the stone tower of Grace Church on Eldredge Street in Newton Corner. I write as a preservation architect who has been licensed for 45 years and as a Newton resident for longer than that.
I recognize that this would be the first time the city provides CPC funds for restoration of a currently operating church building. I believe the proposal merits your support because of its distinguished architectural character. As evidence, I note that this building:
. Is listed as a contributing structure to Farlow and Kenrick Parks National Register District; . Is listed as a contributing structure to these districts in the State Register of Historic Places; . Is classified as “Most Significant” in the City of Newton Historic Resource Inventory, one of only 23 churches so designated; and . Contains the nine bell Eldredge Chime, one of only two operable bells remaining in the City.
The building itself is a splendid example of the mid-19th C English Gothic style and the first stone church building in Newton. Due to the tower’s structural deficiencies, I understand that these funds are critical to the project and the alternative is the removal of the tower, an essential architectural feature. Removal would negatively affect the architectural character of the building, the streetscape and the neighborhood. Loss of the Eldredge Chime would result in the loss of community recitals, diminishing the neighborhood’s aural culture.
Thank you for your consideration.
Russel Feldman, AIA, NCARB c: The Honorable Ruthanne Fuller, Mayor
7 1/5/2021 Gmail - Grace Episcopal Tower Restoration Project
Grace Episcopal Tower Restoration Project
Anne Larner
Councilors: I am wri ng to urge your support for the Grace Episcopal Tower Restora on Project recommended by the Community Preserva on Commi ee at its mee ng on October 13, 2020 and forwarded to the City Council for review and approval. I believe the project will be before Finance and Zoning and Planning Commi ees on January 11. The project request is for $1,433,000 in CPA funding. I strongly support this project because without some public financial aid, this unique historic tower with its deteriora ng structural issues is likely to be demolished. While the Grace Church congrega on is commi ed to trying to preserve the tower, they do not have the resources to do it alone. The tower has stood for almost 150 years and is a valuable community landmark that ought to be preserved. I am neither a member of the Grace Church congrega on nor a resident of the Newton Corner neighborhood where the church sits. I have been a resident of West Newton for more than 45 years and a long me ac ve board member of Historic Newton. For the last 15 years or so I have researched different aspects of Newton’s history from the mid- nineteenth to early twen eth century. I have studied many families living in the neighborhood adjacent to Grace Church and the life of the neighborhood from just before the Civil War to about 1920. I’ve led several walking tours of the area, usually star ng in Farlow Park right across the street from Grace Church. I have uncovered a number of fascina ng stories of young, old, rich, and of modest means who lived, boarded and/or worked in this neighborhood. This Newton Corner neighborhood to the east and south of Farlow Park is in many ways an outdoor museum though very much alive with 21st century comings and goings on a daily basis. I applaud the Council for having invested in the restora on of Farlow Park. That was a major step in helping to preserve the historical face of this most interes ng neighborhood. The Grace Church building with its impressive tower is also a key historical landmark in this area. The church tower visually anchors the park and (along with the Pomroy House) serves as a gateway to the residen al neighborhoods to the east and south. By 1900 this neighborhood was essen ally built out and looks today very much as it did in the early 1900s. While the uses of the buildings and homes have changed, the streetscape of well-preserved facades evokes a different me and reminds us of the many people who resided there over the last century and a half and the roles those people played in building our city and its ins tu ons. It would be a shame to lose a key visual landmark of this well-preserved area. I have heard few if any argue that the Grace Tower lacks historical significance for the community. I understand that some believe that public monies should not be used to help fund a restora on project that is part of a church building. I urge you to review the letter of August 14, 2020 from the project’s legal counsel Ryan McManus to the CPC that is part of the project documenta on. I find his arguments and review of case law very clear and most convincing. I also believe the CPC has done its due diligence in exploring the experience of other Massachuse s communi es in using public funds for similar purposes. There is plenty of precedent upon which to act. I hope you will approve this project. Sincerely, Anne M Larner 68 Myrtle St. West Newton
8 1/4/2021 Gmail - Fwd: Support for CPA Grant to Grace Church Restoration Project
Support for CPA Grant to Grace Church Restoration Project
Robert Tuchmann
> > City Councilors and Mayor Fuller, > I am a 46 year resident of Ward 3 and urge you to support the recommended grant of CPA funds to Grace Church for the stabilization and restoration of its stone tower. > Professionally I have been a real estate lawyer for almost 50 years and many of the projects I worked on have involved historic buildings, all of which received either CPA support or federal and state tax credits. I was on the steering committee of the failed attempt to create a West Newton Hill Historic District a few years ago. > I am very much aware of the benefits which the public receives from the preservation and use of historic churches and synagogues in Newton. That is one of the reasons underlying the real estate tax exemption granted by the Commonwealth top these institutions. I’ve attended many pubic meetings in these buildings which dealt with neighborhood and public issues. In that respect, they have filled a need which public buildings were unable to provide to the citizens of Newton. These institutions, because of their design, beauty and large lots also serve to preserve open space, view corridors and enhance adjacent streetscapes. > The Grace Church tower is of particular beauty and its setting adjacent to Farlow Park makes the church visible from afar and lends beauty to the public open spaces. As it is a stone tower adjacent to a stone church, it is unique in its design and its contribution to the architectural heritage of the city. > I am particularly struck by the willingness of this church and so many of the others to have maintained their structures over the past 100-150 years so that they have survived and enable us to enjoy them to this day. My wife and I have contributed to the efforts to restore and save the towers on the First Unitarian Universalist Society in West Newton Square and the Innovation Institute (a former church) at the corner of Walnut Street and Newtonville Avenue in Newtonville. The Society’s effort serves as a cautionary tale of the result of insufficient funding of such an effort as the tower was not preserved and instead a series of vertical girders and lights replaced it. That result is unfortunate and should cause us all to avoid that result here by supporting this effort by Grace Church. > As a real estate lawyer, I am also familiar with the issues presented by the proposed public funding of a project owned by and sponsored by a religious institution. I have reviewed Caplan v. Acton in which the Supreme Judicial Court addressed this issue. Although we can all agree that the decision is less than clear, I believe the three prong test which it ratifies supports this grant as appropriate. As opposed to the facts in Acton, the portions of this church which are to be repaired and restored are without religious symbolism or ornamentation. It is literally just a bricks and mortar repair project to restore the structural integrity of the tower and protect the rest of the structure as well as those members of the public passing by on public sidewalks and streets. > Finally, I note that even though this grant would use up most of the CPA funds on hand for restoration work, it would be in the form of a challenge grant to the members of the church to come up with contributions and private funding from other sources totaling 50% of the cost of the project. In essence, the public funding would leverage private funds to complete the project. > I urge you to support this grant application in its entirety. > Thank you. > Robert Tuchmann > > Robert Tuchmann > 38 Prince Street > West Newton, MA 02465 > 617 943-2800; [email protected]
9 https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ik=fdc73ea0c3&view=pt&search=all&permmsgid=msg-f%3A1686902526444277233&simpl=msg-f%3A16869025264… 1/1 From: Donahue, Charles
Dear Council Members,
As I member of the Board of Historic Newton and a neighbor of the Grace Church Bell Tower, I urge the Council to approve the recommendation of the Community Preservation Committee to enter into a public-private partnership to restore the Tower.
In a neighborhood of houses of varying styles dating from 1870 to 1910, the 107-foot Tower is easily the most dramatic work of architecture in the Farlow and Kenrick Parks Historic District. It anchors recently restored Farlow Park, the City’s oldest public park, on its Southeast side. It is hard to imagine what the District would be without it.
If the Tower is not restored. something of historic and architectural significance will be lost irretrievably.
Yours truly,
Sheila Donahue 684 Centre Street Newton, MA 02458
10 Letter to City of Newton City Councilors sent December 1, 2020
I am writing to urge your support to restore the historic stone tower at Grace Church, using CPA funds. I am sure you are aware of the contribution this tower makes to the historic fabric of Newton.
I am a retired architect and have lived in the City of Newton since 1974. I live in the Auburndale Local Historic District and am on the historic commission for the district. As such I have become an advocate of preserving the historic fabric in Newton whenever possible. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely, Paul Dudek. Emeritus member of the American Institute of Architects & the Boston Society of Architects
11 1/4/2021 Support for CPA funds for the Grace Tower Project
Support for CPA funds for the Grace Tower Project
Daphne Romanoff to citycouncil, rfuller
Dear Newton City Council and Mayor Fuller:
Please consider voting in favor of the CPA grant application for the Grace Tower Restoration.
My support is based on the architectural and aesthetic value of this historic 1873 tower. Indeed, we are lucky to ha one of the most significant and visible of local architectural landmarks in Newton, and therefore worthy of preserva Resource funds.
Respectfully,
Daphne Romanoff Southgate LLC 617-957-4252 [email protected] www.southgatellc.net
12 From: Tarik Lucas
Dear City Councilors,
I ask that you vote in favor to approve the funding that was previously approved by the CPC, so that the Grace Tower Restoration project can be completed. The tower has significant historical value. It is a pillar of architectural stewardship and it is a historical landmark. The CPC has stated that it is worthy of Community Preservation funds. When the tower is completed, it will enhance the neighborhood in Newton Corner. Please approve the funding.
Sincerely,
Tarik J. Lucas 36 Central Avenue, Newtonville Newtonville Historic District Commissioner
13 From: Dante Capasso
To Mayor Fuller and the Newton City Council,
I wanted to reach out and express my support for using CPA funds to help with the restoration of the Grace Church Bell Tower. I feel Grace Church is a unique and historically important structure. As I understand it the CPC reserves 20% of its grants for historic properties and I feel the community benefit from this being one of them. Thank you for your time.
Respectfully
Dante Capasso Commissioner/Secretary Auburndale Historic District Commission 5 Ionia Street Auburndale, MA 02466
--
14 West Newton MA 02465 January 4, 2021
Members, Newton City Council City of Newton 1000 Commonwealth Avenue Newton, MA 02459
Re: Please Support Historic Bell Tower Restoration
I am writing to urge you to support the grant application approved by the Community Preservation Committee for funds to restore Grace Church’s historic bell tower.
I believe that the architecturally significant and historic Grace Church bell tower is deserving of support because it provides an important anchor for the 1883 Meacham-designed Farlow Park and is an integral part of the Farlow Park Historic District. Further, the bell tower is a valuable element in the historic nature of the community and its loss would diminish the quality of life in one of Newton’s important historic neighborhoods.
If CPA funding is approved to restore the bell tower, I feel that the church should be required to seek Landmark designation from the Newton Historical Commission. Landmark designation would provide an important recognition in honoring the City’s historical legacy and adds a layer of legal protection of the City’s investment should financial and other considerations force Grace Church to close its doors and the building repurposed. In the event the building is sold in the future, the city should have a lien on the property to ensure that the city can recover its CPA money from the proceeds of the sale.
Thank you for your consideration.
Peter Dimond, Member of the Newton Historical Commission (speaking for myself) 18 Sterling Street
15 1/7/2021 Gmail - Historic Resource Grant for Grace Church Tower
Historic Resource Grant for Grace Church Tower
Laurel Farnsworth
City Council Members and Mayor Fuller,
I am writing in support of funding from Community Preservation funds for the restoration of the Grace Church Bell Tower. Grace Church’s tower is a wonderful esthetic asset to our city, part of the fabric of historic buildings that make us a unique and valued place to live and work. We cannot afford to lose buildings that have such a high profile both as an historic bell tower and part of an irreplaceable church complex. This is part of the built environment we have inherited from our Newton forebears that we have a responsibility to maintain.
I volunteer my time as a member of the board of Historic Newton, as a member of the Operations Council of the First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton and as president of the board of the Newton Cultural Alliance maintaining and restoring historic buildings in Newton. In all cases these are vital parts of our community that contribute to our rich cultural and social life. I urge you to support this funding to restore a place that is one of the vital threads that connect us in so many ways, from housing social services and cultural happenings to being a well loved part of its neighborhood.
Sincerely, Laurel Farnsworth 73 Perkins St. West Newton, MA 02465 617-429-7297
Sent from my iPad
16 17 1/7/2021 Gmail - Fwd: In support of CPA funds to restore Grace Church tower
In support of CPA funds to restore Grace Church tower
Thu, Jan 7, 2021 at 10:51 AM From: Candace Havens
18 1/5/2021 The Historic Resources Grant for Grace Church Bell Tower - January 11th City Council Meeting
The Historic Resources Grant for Grace Church Bell Tower - January 11th City Council Meeting
[email protected] 8:43 PM (14 minutes ago) to [email protected], [email protected]
Dear Newton City Council members and Mayor Ruth Fuller,
I am writing to you as a proud resident of the City of Newton for over 50 years who currently resides in Newton Corner. I want to urge you to ratify the Historic Resources grant that the Community Preservation committee approved in October, 2019 for the restoration of the Grace Church bell tower. Please grant the full amount requested, for without it, Grace Church will not be able to leverage other state and private foundation grants they are pursuing nor have the capacity to wage a successful capital campaign. Without this CPA partnership , the tower and the bells will be lost and Newton will lose a precious architectural landmark. It is so essential that the funds are granted soon as the tower is currently a public safety risk. Knowing that the City of Newton values its historic buildings, I ask you to follow the lead of the City of Boston which provided CPC funds for the Arlington Street Church, the 1st Baptist Church and the Hyde Park 7th Day Adventist Church in 2019, thus preserving Boston's architectural heritage. I wish you well as you make this important decision ... Sincerely, Mary Malagodi 9 Fayette Place Newton Corner, MA 02458
19 20 Telephone (617) 796-1120 Telefax City of Newton, Massachusetts (617) 796-1142 TDD/TTY Newton Historical Commission (617) 796-1089 1000 Commonwealth Avenue Newton, Massachusetts 02459 www.newtonma.gov Nancy Grissom, Chairman Barney Heath Ruthanne Fuller Director Mayor
September 9, 2020
Newton Community Preservation Program Planning & Development Dept. 1000 Commonwealth Avenue Newton Centre, MA 02459
Re: Grace Episcopal Church Steeple Project
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The Newton Historical Commission had the opportunity to review the proposed steeple project at the Grace Episcopal Church during its August 27, 2020 hearing.
Grace Episcopal Church is Newton’s oldest standing stone church, and the defining architectural feature of Newton Corner and the Farlow and Kenrick Parks National Register Historic District. The Commission believes the tower, belfry and spire are integral parts of a Newton landmark of outstanding architectural quality.
We believe the project is in keeping with the historic nature of the church and the Commission is in favor of the project proceeding.
Sincerely,
Doug Cornelius Chairman Newton Historical Commission
21 1/7/2021 Gmail - Please vote "yes" to restore the iconic Grace Church tower
Please vote "yes" to restore the iconic Grace Church tower
Scott Oran
Honorable Newton City Council members,
I am writing to you as a proud resident of the City of Newton for 25 years and an admirer of the majestic architecture of Grace Church and Farlow Park.
I urge you to ratify the Historic Resources grant that the Community Preservation committee approved in October for the restoration of the Grace Church bell tower. Please grant the full amount requested, for without it, Grace Church will not be able to leverage other state and private foundation grants they are pursuing nor have the capacity to wage a successful capital campaign.
Without this CPA partnership, the tower and the bells will be lost and Newton will lose an irreplaceable architectural landmark. It is essential that the funds are granted soon as the tower is currently a public safety risk.
Knowing that the City of Newton values its historic buildings, I ask you to follow the lead of our neighbor, the City of Boston, which provided CPA funds for the Arlington Street Church, the First Baptist Church Tower, the First Church of Dorchester Tower and the Hyde Park 7th Day Adventist Church in 2019 and 2020 alone, thus preserving Boston's architectural heritage.
We can and should do the same thing here in Newton.
Thank you!
Best,
Scott Oran
22 1/7/2021 Gmail - CPA funding for Grace Church tower
CPA funding for Grace Church tower
Diane Sakakini-Rao
Dear Newton City Council members and Mayor Ruth Fuller, I am writing to you as a proud and lifelong resident of the City of Newton and a member of Grace Episcopal Church for 29 years.I want to urge you to ratify the Historic Resources grant that the Community Preservation committee approved in October for the restoration of the Grace Church bell tower. Please, please grant the full amount requested as, without it, Grace Church will not be able to leverage other state and private foundation grants they are pursuing, nor have the capacity to wage a successful capital campaign. Without the CPA partnership, the tower and bells will be lost and Newton will lose an irreplaceable landmark that benefits the city. The tower is a public safety risk, so we hope that the funds will be granted as soon as possible.
Given the fact that the City of Newton values its historic buildings, I ask you to follow the lead of the City of Boston which provided CPA funds to the Arlington Street Church, the First Baptist Church Tower, the First Church of Dorchester Tower and the Hyde Park 7th Day Adventist church in 2019 and 2020, thus preserving Boston’s architectural heritage.’
Many of us in Newton Corner and throughout the city are tracking this important decision.
Thanks very much. Kind regards, Diane Sakakini-Rao
23 1/7/2021 Gmail - Grace church bell tower
Grace church bell tower
dan shaw
From: dan shaw
I lived diagonally across from Grace Church. The tower is a beautiful, graceful and central component of the remarkable architecture in this part of Newton corner. I fully support using CPA funds to restore the church tower. I urge you to vote for allocation of these funds
dan
[email protected] 116 church st newton ma 02458 (617)964 3813
Apologies for the typos and confusing phrasing; a result of dictating using Dragon unnaturally speaking. If parts of this email are confusing please get back to me.
24 1/11/2021 Fwd: Historic Resources Grant for Grace Church Bell Tower
From: Peter Vieira Sent: Friday, January 8, 2021 4:55 PM To: '[email protected]'
Dear Members of the Newton City Council and Mayor Fuller,
I am writing as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, as the Chairman of one of Newton’s local Historic District Commission (Chestnut Hill), and as a 15-year resident of the City with a deep interest in the preservation of our historic resources. I would like to urge you to ratify the Historic Resources grant that the Community Preservation Committee approved in October for the restoration of the Grace Church bell tower.
Having participated in the restoration of another landmark bell tower from this era as an intern architect earlier in my career (the 1881 Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania), I believe I am able to appreciate the unique architectural characteristics of this structure, as well as the historical role it has played in the Farlow Park neighborhood for nearly 150 years. The loss of the tower and its bells, if not stabilized, would be an irreplaceable one for the City.
I would urge you to please grant the full amount that has been requested. Without this, it will not be possible for Grace Church to leverage the other state and private foundation grants they are seeking. It is also likely to affect the Church’s ability to mount a successful capital campaign.
It is my understanding that the City of Boston has provided CPA funds for projects associated with religious organizations in the past, including the Arlington Street Church, the First Baptist Church Tower, the First Church of Dorchester Tower and the Hyde Park 7th Day Adventist Church, thus preserving important landmarks of Boston’s architectural heritage. It would be gratifying to me to see the City make a like-minded decision here.
Sincerely,
Peter Vieira 67 Old Orchard Road Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Peter Vieira, FAIA, LEED AP Principal
[email protected] Direct 617-895-1214 Cell 617-549-3792
PAYETTE 290 Congress Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02210 | 617-895-1000 payette.com | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn
2019 AIA Architecture Firm Award
25 1/11/2021 Fwd: Grace Church CPC funding
From: Jay Walter
[DO NOT OPEN links/attachments unless you are sure the content is safe. ] I am writing in support of the CPC funding for the tower restoration at Grace Church. I urge the Council to approve the full amount requested so that the tower may be saved. A lesser amount will not allow the project to move forward. As such it is not a compromise but a denial.
I have heard the ‘slippery slope' argument against funding that says if you approve this project the CPC will be flooded by new applications from congregations all over the city. That should not be reason to deny the Grace application. To begin with the CPC is set up to review each application on its own merit. If other applications are not worthy of funding, they should be denied. The Grace church application is especially meritorious. The building is on the National Registry of Historic Places and adjoins the oldest park in the city, itself historic. In the 1986 Historic Resource Survey Grace is sited as “most Significant” the highest level of distinction. This particular application is particularly worthy of funding.
I understand the City legal department has advised against funding. This is unfortunate but there is precedent for funding has been established throughout the Commonwealth. The CPC has considered this and approved the application nonetheless. The City Council should do the same.
For over 200 years the religious buildings throughout our city have stood as cultural as well as architectural symbols of our City’s past. For generations of Newton residents Grace Church has been part of the community. To think that the City Council of my generation let this historic structure be demolished, when we have the opportunity to save it deeply saddens me.
Please support this application.
sincerely,
-j
Jay Walter 83 Pembroke St. Newton Corner
26 1/11/2021 Fwd: Grace Church Bell Tower - CPC Funding Request
From: Claudia Wu
My apologies, I received an error message. Am resending. Thank you.
Dear Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and Newton City Council Members:
I am writing to you as a 30 year resident of the City of Newton. I have been active in conversations around historic preservation in the City for decades, having served on the Newton Historical Commission for several years and on the Newton Community Preservation Commission as one of its first members. Professionally, I served as an attorney for the National Trust for Historic Preservation for ten years, was Board President of Preservation Massachusetts and am currently a member of the Cultural Resources Committee of the Trustees of Reservations and the Easement Committee of Historic New England.
I urge you to ratify the Historic Resources grant that the Community Preservation committee approved in October for the restoration of the Grace Church bell tower. I know that the City has granted funds to significant city-owned preservation projects in the past, but please consider the importance of preserving Grace Church's iconic bell tower. Privately owned resources such as this are just as much a part of the fabric of our city as city-owned buildings; indeed, they also reflect the character of our community in that the congregation has lovingly preserved and maintained the historic building which continues to serve as a social and spiritual gathering space.
I note that the City of Boston has provided CPA funds for preservation of the privately owned Arlington Street Church, the First Baptist Church Tower, the First Church of Dorchester Tower and the Hyde Park 7th Day Adventist Church based on the architectural merit and community importance of these buildings. I refer you to the Newton CPC''s recommendation to the City Council (see below) in which it noted that "...91 CPA communities, including Boston and Cambridge, have funded the restoration of significant historic religious and institutional buildings based on their historic and architectural contributions to their neighborhoods and communities."
Please grant the full amount requested so that Grace Church will be able to seek state and private foundation grants and wage a successful capital campaign. As you know, the tower and bells are in jeopardy. The building, by being listed on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places is unquestionably historically and architecturally significant.
The City has the means to help ensure that this important landmark be saved and remain a part of the fabric of our community. In my opinion, the purpose of the CPA is to provide resources for the preservation of significant community landmarks that would otherwise be lost. I urge you to take the opportunity to do just that.
I thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely, Claudia Wu 25 Sewall Street West Newton, MA 02465
27 Brooke K. Lipsitt 54 Kirkstall Road Newtonville, MA 02460 August 3, 2020
Community Preservation Committee c/o Lara Kritzer City of Newton
Re: Grace Episcopal Church Tower Renovation
Dear Chair Armstrong and Members of the Committee:
I write in support of the application currently under consideration to repair the historic bell tower of the Grace Episcopal Church. For 35 years, our family lived within a block of Grace Church, first on Franklin Street and then on Billings Park. We walked by this impressive edifice in the Farlow and Kenrick Parks Historic District every day, on our way to the bus downtown or to Underwood School. It truly anchors the corner of Farlow Park. I continue to admire this handsome structure even though I have moved from the neighborhood, as I belong to a Club which holds its regular meetings there (or did, prior to the pandemic).
I am aware of the investment of time and financial resources that members of the Church community have made over the years to protect and preserve this important architectural asset. I have been assured that parishioners, once again, will be making generous contributions to support the renovation effort but I am also aware that they cannot finance this effort without additional assistance. I urge the CPC to vote to approve their request.
Very truly yours, Brooke K. Lipsitt Brooke K. Lipsitt
28 August 7, 2020 Newton Community Preservation Committee c/o Lara Kritzer, Community Preservation Program Manager City of Newton Planning & Development Department 1000 Commonwealth Avenue Newton MA 02459
Concerning the restoration of the Grace Chuch Tower and Eldredge Chime
Dear Ms. Kritzer,
I am Margaret Angelini, a member of the Guild of Carillonneurs of North America and faculty advisor for the Wellesley College Guild of Carillonneurs, a student ensemble in the music department. I support the efforts of the Grace Church Tower Committee to restore the tower and the Eldredge Chime. This restoration effort will ensure that the tower and the historic and unique set of bells will remain a centerpiece for the community for years to come.
Chimes and carillons are similar in their use of tuned bells, but vary in their size and in the method of ringing. Instead of standing to play, the Wellesley students play the 32-bell carillon while seated at a keyboard that is similar to an organ keyboard. The carillon has been in Galen Stone Tower in the heart of the campus since 1931. The students have been responsible for playing the bells from the start. They play during passing times between classes, and also for the important moments in the college year. The music the guild plays brings comfort in times of sadness, magnifies the joy of special events, and reflects the aspirations of all who hear the bells. The students play everything from medieval chant to folk tunes from around the world to their favorite pop tunes, thus reflecting their own diversity and creating a community out of all who listen.
My role is to encourage them to play what they love as well as they can. I also connect them to the wider world of carillons and bells in order to stretch their skills and to give them performance avenues after graduation. In the past we have traveled to play the chimes at Cornell University, at the Montpelier Trinity United Methodist Church, and have visited chimes as far away as Ottawa. These instruments are at the heart of their community, just like Wellesley's carillon and the Eldredge chime in Newton Corner, which was rung to celebrate Newton’s graduating seniors in June and played “Lift Every Voice and Sing” for a civic event recognizing Black Lives Matter in July.
A colleague of mine once commented that a tower is incomplete without bells; if the tower is the visual landmark of the area then the bells are the soul of the tower. In a time when live music is hard to come by, chimes and carillons give us all the opportunity to safely listen to music being played in the moment. The bells give us a chance to hear a bit of ourselves in the open air, and celebrate all that is good in our corner of the world.
Restoring the tower and the chime go hand in hand. The chime can’t be heard if it is not in a well- maintained tower with adequate access for players to see and play their bells. The tower can’t reach the ears and hearts of the community without its bells. By supporting this project, you will not only help to rebuild a landmark, but will also strengthen a community called together by the sound of the bells. Thank you for considering my support of the Grace Church Tower and the Eldredge Chime.
Sincerely, Margaret Angelini Music Department Wellesley College
29 July 16, 2020
Reverend Dr. Regina Walton 76 Eldredge Street Newton, MA 02458
Dear Reverend Dr. Walton,
I’m writing this letter in support of Grace Church and its application to the Newton Community Preservation Program.
Riverside Community Care is a large, non-profit human service and behavioral health agency that operates 80 programs near Boston, in MetroWest and South Central Massachusetts. One of Riverside Community Care’s programs is Riverside Outpatient Center (ROC) at Newton, a community mental health and substance use treatment program that serves people of a wide range of ages, demographics and geographies. Because we are one of only two behavioral health providers in Newton that accept Medicare and MassHealth insurance, our primary mission is to serve low-income residents of Newton. Riverside Community Care is committed to maintaining a presence in Newton because the agency began in Newton 35 years ago and has consistently worked in partnership with the City of Newton Health and Human Services Department and Planning Department to identify and collaborate on responding to community needs. Besides ROC Newton, other Riverside programs maintain a presence in Newton, including Riverside Emergency Services, Riverside Trauma Center and Newton Youth Outreach, which are part of Riverside’s continuum of care that offers a range of immediate and ongoing, coordinated behavioral health services for Newton residents. ROC Newton serves about 1000 people per year, roughly half of which are Newton residents. Our staff consists of 50 people, including social workers, mental health counselors, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, graduate interns and administrative personnel.
Riverside Outpatient Center at Newton has rented the building next door to and owned by Grace Church to for over 20 years. Grace Church shares Riverside Community Care’s mission to serve the community, particularly its most vulnerable residents. As licensing and building code requirements have changed and intensified over the years, Grace Church has responded to Riverside’s needs to continually maintain and upgrade our licensed mental health clinic in compliance with stringent Department of Public Safety and local regulations. For example, Grace Church has had to increase the electrical capacity in the building in order to accommodate our increasing reliance on computers over the last 10 years and re-paved the parking lot in order to comply with our clinic’s ADA accessibility regulations. We have always found Grace Church to be an available, responsive and collaborative partner in addressing our facility needs, without which Riverside would not be able to maintain its license to operate.
I strongly support Grace Church’s application for support from the Newton Community Preservation Program, which would benefit the people served by Riverside Community Care and preserve this iconic historic resource in our community. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Anne Priestley, LICSW Program Director [email protected] 617-969-4925 x 5960
Riverside Outpatient Center at Newton 64 Eldredge Street, Newton, MA 02458 617.969.4925 Fax: 617.244.2507 30 Gmail - Newton City Council Meeting Docket Item 458-20: Grace Church Tower
Newton City Council Meeting Docket Item 458-20: Grace Church Tower
Laura Johnson
Dear members of the Newton City Council:
I wish you a happy new year and I hope this finds you well.
I understand that the Grace Episcopal Church Tower Restoration project is on the agenda and up for vote at the Monday, January 11, meeting of the Newton City Council, after the Community Preservation Committee approved the funding for its restoration during their meeting that was held on October 13, 2020.
I am writing to you about this matter for a second time because I wanted to assure you that saving the tower is fundamentally about historic preservation and unrelated to the church’s mission. The City of Newton recognizes the tower as an important historic feature of the Farlow and Kenrick Parks National Historic District.
I’m also writing again because, as I mentioned in my previous letter below, the matter is near and dear to my heart, not only because I am a lifelong resident of Newton Corner and a more than 40-year parishioner of Grace Church, but also because in the coming years I hope to participate in an organized effort toward making the Newton Corner commercial district a destination once again: a more safe, vibrant, village center with cultural attractions and amenities that draw people in.
The picturesque, historic area where Grace Church and the former Hunnewell Club/Rebecca Pomroy House, Chaffin and Farlow Parks, the Newton Presbyterian Church, the H. H. Richardson-designed Immanuel Baptist Church (now the Newton Corner Worship Center), the Eliot Church, and a succession of Victorian homes stand, would, I believe, complement the center of commerce and be a magnet to sightseers, tourists and/or business guests staying at the nearby Sheraton Hotel, and visiting family members and friends of residents of the soon-to-open Sunrise Senior Living facility at 431 Washington Street.
What’s more, allowing the Grace Church tower (and consequently the skyline of the neighborhood) to remain intact well beyond the building’s nearly 125 years of existence would be especially meaningful in the village of Newton Corner after so much of its original architecture was destroyed to make way for both the Massachusetts Turnpike in the 1960s, and redevelopment in the 1980s and ’90s.
It is my hope that on Monday, January 11, you will vote in favor of using CPA funds to restore the tower of Grace Episcopal Church.
Sincerely, Laura Johnson
31 16 August 2020
Community Preservation Committee City of Newton 1000 Commonwealth Avenue Newton Centre, MA 02459
Dear Community Preservation Committee, We are writing in support of Grace Episcopal Church’s application to the Community Preservation Program for the restoration of their 1872 tower, belfry, and spire. Newton is blessed by many historic sacred places, punctuating the city with historic towers that make our city special. This particular structure contributes significantly to Newton Corner and the surrounding Farlow and Kenrick Parks National Historic District.
Newton was expanding quickly at the time the parish built this church. The structure is emblematic of the way houses of worship contribute to the cultural and architectural landscape of a place, thus recording the city’s development . To lose the tower would be a tragedy. Having reviewed the proposal, it is clear that the Church’s group has sought out sound expert advice and assembled a strong plan to accomplish this task. (For example, John Wathne of Structures North is respected in the field of Historic Preservation; the City used their services for a large restoration project at the East Parish Burying Ground.) Having done so, they are sparing future managers from having to embark on an even more dire and expensive project. This is good stewardship. Historic Newton, the Community Preservation Committee, Newton’s Historic District Commissions, and others work hard to educate about and preserve Newton’s historic places. When an entity such as the church wants to contribute to that overall effort, the community is the better for it. We hope that you will view this project favorably.
Sincerely,
Lisa S. Dady Executive Director Historic Newton cc Lawrence C. Bauer, AIA
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