Springfield Preservation Trust honors those caring for historic homes

Date: 6/22/2009

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



SPRINGFIELD Despite the economy, the rehabilitation and preservation of historic structures is still taking place in the city, Ben Murphy, president of the Springfield Preservation Trust, told Reminder Publications.

Murphy presented recognition to a number of Springfield property owners on Wednesday at Tower Square at the annual Preservation Awards ceremony hosted by the trust.

Before the presentation, Murphy said that historic preservation is a "green" activity as it is "using what is already there." He added that preservation is often times more economical than new building.

He said the number of preservation efforts in the city have remained "about the same" over the past three years.

Springfield's historic house stock has attracted people to the city, he noted, and is a local economic engine. The projects honored included the reinstallation of period appropriate porches and the restoration of original shingles and clapboard as well as awards for stewardships of historic properties.

The properties honored this year included:

49 Florentine Gardens

273 State St.

50 Buckingham St.

73 St. James Ave.

98 Amherst St.

71 Ingersol Grove

81-85 Walnut St.

69 Clarendon St.

Oak Grove Cemetery

St. Peter and St. Paul Russian Orthodox Church

344 St. James Ave.

192 St. James Ave.

For Carlo DiLizia, receiving an award from the trust was nothing new. This was his fifth such award. He owns 98 Amherst St., a Queen Anne style home built in 1900, and said, "I like buying old houses and fixing them up."

Father Michael Korolev of St. Peter and St. Paul Russian Orthodox Church explained his church's board "didn't think of an award when we started the restoration" of his church's traditional onion-shaped domes.

The church regilded the domes, which Korolev explained represent candles and their light and refer to Christ being the light of the world.

Murphy said the trust is undertaking a preservation project of its own. It purchased the two-story brick building at 77 Maple St. in January and has started restoration work.

The building is one of the city's oldest stranding structures. Built in 1832 as a female seminary, it was moved to the Maple Street location in 1843. That year it was converted as a residence and was used as such until 1911. Later, it was used for offices.

The trust has made emergency roof and structural repairs and cleaned up the property. The organization is looking to rehab the building for condominiums.

For more information on the trust, visit www.springfieldpreservationtrust.org.