55 Pine Grove Avenue, also known as the Crehore Estate, is one of Newton’s 31 local landmarks. (photo: Tori Zissman)
When three contiguous parcels (206-208 Concord Street in Lower Falls) were put on the market at the same time, Lower Falls resident Tori Zissman began to worry about the possibility of a developer tearing down the existing homes to make way for a new, larger project. Zissman, who had long admired the historic nature and cohesiveness of the Lower Falls village, decided to discuss the situation with then-local activist Randy Block, who currently serves as Ward 4 City Councilor.
“At that time, Randy Block was not the Councilor — he was with RightSize Newton — and so I just brought it to his attention and said, ‘seems to me like there’s potential here for somebody to build something really big on this, if they pull these all together, if they buy them all,’” she said. “And it was Randy who suggested, ‘Do you think we could landmark it?’”
The landmarking process
Newton’s Local Landmark Ordinance, which was first enacted in 1993, is a little-known but powerful tool to protect historic structures and properties. The ordinance empowers the Newton Historical Commission (NHC) — a body of seven volunteer members appointed by the Mayor — to designate buildings as “local landmarks,” effectively blocking alteration of their exterior and setting without NHC review. Today, 31 properties in Newton have landmark status.
Landmark status grants a property the highest level of protection available in the city. While the National Park Service maintains a National Register of Historic Places, being listed on the Register does not come with any specific protection. The same is true for properties listed on the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s database of historic properties, the Massachusetts Cultural Resources Information System.
In order for a property to qualify for landmark status, the Commission must…