Many Cape towns have a demolition delay bylaw, but towns have had varying amounts of success in finding alternatives to demolition. This Web site is designed to advertise historic buildings subject to demolition delay in the hopes of identifying alternatives to the loss of the building. This site will also describe success stories in various Cape communities where demolition has been avoided.
| Date Posted | Town | Photo and Address | Time Frames | Description | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 6, 2007; photo added August 14, 2007 | BARNSTABLE |  271 Wianno Avenue, Osterville | Demolition delay imposed June 26, 2007 (six-month delay) | The Joseph Tallman House was built in 1886. It is a two and a half story
Shingle Style house clad primarily in wood shingles, with the second floor set off from the lower floor by a flared base shingled in a staggered pattern. The attic is set off by a similar flair with a scalloped base. A distinctive feature of the building is its fieldstone masonry front porch foundation and stairs. A one story kitchen addition extends from the rear. |
Contact: Jackie Etsten, Principal Planner, |
| June 21, 2007 | CHATHAM | (photo to come) 1465 Old Queen Anne Road, Chatham | A 12-month delay was voted by Chatham Historical Commission on June 12, 2007 (application came in before Town Meeting vote for 18-month delays). | The actual build date is listed as 1770. |
Applicant is owner Wendell Nickerson. Please contact:
Don Aikman, Chatham Historical Commission Chairman |
| May 15, 2007 | CHATHAM |  2684 Main Street,
| 12-month demolition delay started in May 2007 | | Contact: Bill Marsh, owner, |
| December 27, 2006 Photo added 2/6/07 | BARNSTABLE |  330 Olde Homestead Drive, |
6-month demolition delay stated on December 6, 2006 | The Isaac Crocker homestead is a three-quarter Cape Cod house with a gently
bowed roofline, sited facing south on a knoll west of Muddy Pond. It sits
on a foundation of massive granite stones. The exterior is clad in cedar
shingles. The center entrance is plain, with five lights above the door. A
one-story kitchen wing extends from the northeast corner, with a screened
porch on the west side. A two-story barn is located southwest of the house,
with a silo attached. House constructed 1750.
|
Contact: Jackie Etsten, Principal Planner, Barnstable Growth Management Department, 508-862-4676 |
| September 24, 2004 Updated December 28, 2005 | CHATHAM | (photo not available) 162 Shore Road, Chatham |
Demolition Delay imposed September 9, 2004 Demolition Delay expired September 8, 2005 SAVED - The applicant withdrew the demolition proposal and instead submitted new plans for a modest addition.
|
Circa 1810 house.
|
Please contact:
Don Aikman, Chatham Historical Commission Chairman |
| January 12, 2005 Updated June 21, 2007 | CHATHAM |  43 Morris Island Road, Chatham |
360-day demo delay imposed on November 30, 2004 LOST - The house was demolished, and it has been replaced with a much larger home.
|
Full Cape, c. 1830 (possibly earlier) The first owner of this house was probably Abel Reynolds, who married Hannah Eldredge of Chatham in 1804 and purchased 5 acres of land on what is now Morris Island Road from Joshua Nickerson in 1831. The Reynolds had 10 children, all of whom survived to adulthood and three of whom became sea captains. The home remained in the Reynolds family for several generations. In the 1920s, the house was moved back from the road to its current site on a knoll overlooking the Atlantic. Much of the original framing and features of the historic full Cape remain, although a full dormer has been constructed along the front and several later wings added, which would probably have to come off for the old house to be moved.
|
Please contact:
Don Aikman, Chatham Historical Commission Chairman |
| January 12, 2005 Updated December 28, 2005 | CHATHAM |  81 Hitching Post Road, Chatham |
360-day demo delay imposed on November 30, 2004
LOST - After serious efforts to find alternatives to demolition, the old home was demolished and a larger home has replaced it. |
Greek Revival with Victorian detailing, c. 1900
|
Please contact:
Don Aikman, Chatham Historical Commission Chairman |
| April 26, 2005 Updated December 28, 2005 | FALMOUTH |  2 Wyoming Avenue, Falmouth Heights |
Demolition delay imposed on March 26, 2005 Demolition delay expired June 23, 2005 LOST - The house was demolished in the fall of 2005. |
This Shingle Style building is a 4,000-square-foot gambrel house with a
cross gambrel wing that dates to 1902. Exterior details are minimal, but two rooms contain intricate Arts and Crafts wood trim and ceiling beams and original picture window and large brick fireplace. The one and a half story house was a private home that later served as the Horizon Guest House.
|
Contact:
Ann Sears, Falmouth Historical Commission |
| December 8, 2005 | FALMOUTH |  40 Associates Road, Chapoquoit Island, Falmouth |
Demolition delay period expired February 19, 2006 | The large wood shingle summer house at 40 Associates Road on Chapoquoit
Island is one of a number of prominent West Falmouth houses designed by J.
Williams Beal of Boston. Built in 1892, it was the third house on the
island. It is a particularly successful example of the Shingle Style,
eschewing all historical detail in favor of mass and flowing shingle
surfaces. The focal point of the house is the cross gambrel with windows of
the stairhall rising on the diagonal above the projecting entry porch. |
For more information please contact:
Ann Sears, Falmouth Historical Commission |
| December 8, 2005 | FALMOUTH |  21 Crescent Avenue, Falmouth |
Demolition delay period expired February 19, 2006 | The small wood shingle summer cottage in the Gothic Revival style at 21
Crescent Avenue in Falmouth Heights dates to c. 1920. It stands on a 4,212
square foot lot. It measured 20 by 25 feet before the side addition was
built after 1948. |
For more information please contact:
Ann Sears, Falmouth Historical Commission |
| September 26, 2005 | DENNIS | Dennisport | 45 (working) days from decision made on September 13, 2005 Expired November 19, 2005 |
1845 Greek Revival with 3 bedrooms on second floor, 2 baths, living room, dining room , kitchen and pantry . No fireplace, but central chimney. Must be removed from the lot in Dennis Port and the lot left in buildable condition. All expenses of the move and lot rehab to be paid by the party who moves the house. Detached garage not included.
Information supplied by the Dennis Historical Commission. |
For more information please contact:
Nancy Reid, Dennis Historical Commission |
| September 24, 2004 Updated July 20, 2005 | FALMOUTH |  205 Associates Road, Chapoquoit, Falmouth |
SAVED - The building was moved by barge to North Falmouth, then cut into sections and moved by truck to a new site where it was reassembled. | Circa 1890 Shingle style, two-story building with a porch on three sides.
Half the porch is enclosed. The house contains seven bedrooms upstairs.
Downstairs there is a central hall/living room with fireplace and stairway,
a dining room, and a hall leading to several kitchen and service rooms.
The house is in good condition. Windows are large and tight with storm windows. There is no apparent lead paint in the interior. The baseboard and window trim has a natural finish. The walls are wallpapered. There is no basement. Floors are hardwood. Utilities are outdated. An architect found powder post beetle in a section of the attic which could be repaired. The house could be moved by sea, or by road but by road it might have to be cut in half and moved in two parts. Information supplied by the Falmouth Historical Commission. |
For more information please contact:
Ann Sears, Falmouth Historical Commission |
| January 12, 2005 Updated July 20, 2005 | CHATHAM |  19 Old Wharf Road, North Chatham |
SAVED - The owners have agreed to save the original house, removing later ells and moving the original building elsewhere on the property to serve as a guest house. A new main house will be constructed on the property.
|
Full Cape with rear ell, circa 1803
|
Please contact:
Don Aikman, Chatham Historical Commission Chairman |
| October 18, 2004 Updated February 15, 2005 | EASTHAM |  385 Mary Chase Road |
Demolition of the building expected in early April. | Small oceanside cottage built in the early nineteeth century.
From the water side, one enters an enclosed wrap-around porch that extends around two sides of the cottage. The living room has a fieldstone fireplace and limited forced hot air heating (one floor register). There is a dining area to the right and a kitchen in the rear. The kitchen includes a circa 1920s (or older) wood burning stove that is not used. In addition, there are two bedrooms and one bath with shower on the first floor. The second floor is basically an open space with room for five beds plus a small storage area. Walls are of bead board. Windows are double hung, 2 over 1 sash. A Queen Anne style colored glass window is located in the dining room area. |
Contact: Eastham Historical Commission Chair Elisabeth Sandler |
DEMOLITION DELAY SUCCESS STORIES:
The Chatham Historical Commission has had several demolition delay success stories. Their successes can be attributed largely to the board members' pro-active role, working cooperatively with the property owners and identifying potential alternatives to demolition.
459 Sea View Avenue, Osterville
A prospective buyer of this property wanted to demolish the historic home
and build a new house on the site. After the Barnstable Historical
Commission imposed a 6-month demolition delay, the buyer walked away. A new
buyer was found within a month and they chose to preserve and remodel the
historic home.
MODEL DEMOLITION DELAY BYLAW:
The Massachusetts Historical Commission has developed a model Demolition Delay Bylaw (Microsoft Word document). It is the basis for the demolition delay bylaw in several Cape
towns and is used across Massachusetts.
DEMOLITION DELAY BYLAWS ON CAPE COD:
Barnstable -- 6-month demolition delay
Bourne -- 12-month demolition delay (adopted at the Spring 2006 Annual Town Meeting)
Chatham -- 18-month demolition delay adopted at Spring 2007 Town Meeting (previous delay was 12 months)
Dennis -- 12-month demolition delay adopted at Spring 2007 Town Meeting (previous delay was 45 days)
Eastham -- 6-month demolition delay (In 2003, Eastham had two demolition delay cases.)
Falmouth -- 3-month demolition delay (6-month delay adopted at Fall 2006 Town Meeting; will take effect in late 2007)
Harwich -- 3-month demolition delay (changed from 30 to 90 days at the May 2005 Town Meeting)
Orleans -- 12-month demolition delay (extended from 6 to 12 months at the Fall 2005 Town Meeting)
Sandwich -- no demolition delay (proposed 18-month demolition delay failed at Spring 2007 Town Meeting)
Truro -- 12-month demolition delay adopted at Spring 2007 Town Meeting (previous delay was 5 months)
Wellfleet -- 6-month demolition delay
Yarmouth -- 2-month demolition delay
HOW TO POST LISTINGS:
Local Historical Commissions can post information about buildings subject to demolition by sending the following information to the Cape Cod Commission:
To submit information to or to ask questions about the Demolition Delay Network, contact Sarah Korjeff, Planner and Historic Preservation Specialist, Cape Cod Commission; (508) 362-3828 ext. 351
Return to the CCC Historic Preservation Home Page