05.1 - 600 Harthan St - Presentation — original pdf

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H I S T O R I C L A N D M A R K C O M M I S S I O N | J U N E 4 , 2 0 2 5 Existing Site Plan A B C A. Two (2) story, four (4) unit apartment building • Built in the 1930s D B. Two (2) story residence • Built in 1920 C. Two (2) story garage apartment • Built post 1984 • HLC approved the demolition of building C in 2017 (LHD-2017-0006) D. Two (2) and three (3) story building • • Two (2) story building was built in the 1930s and designed by the son of Building A who was an MIT student at the time Three (3) story portion of the building was added in 1984 and was designed by Black + Vernooy. Note: The buildings have been vacant for over a decade and mostly unconditioned during this time. The severe neglect of the properties has resulted in suspected water damage, significant exterior damage, and poor structural integrity. Reference expert reports. ORIGINAL STRUCTURES* RENOVATIONS/ADD ONS APPROVED FOR DEMOLITION * Original Structures have undergone significant exterior modifications and no longer resemble the historic structures 600 Harthan Does No Longer has Historical Significance Criteria to be a Contributing Structure: Age and Integrity 1. At least 50 years old 2. Must retain its historical integrity, meaning the building has not been significantly altered in ways that remove or obscure important historic materials or features Buildings A, B, & C Building D 1. At least 50 years old 1. At least 50 years old • Building A: Built in the 1930s (as an addition to the original western • Original Structure: The original structure (northern portion of structure, bldg. B) existing building) was built in the 1930s. • Building B: Built in 1920 (original structure on the former western • Add-On: The southern portion of the structure was constructed in lot) • Building C: Modern construction (built post 1984) 1984, making it nonhistorical. 2. Must retain its historical integrity, meaning the building has not been significantly altered in ways that remove or obscure important historic materials or features • Building A: The building has undergone a series of major renovations in the last 50 years. • Building B: Does not retain historic integrity. Examples include, original wood siding has been covered in stucco, window sizes and locations have been altered, windows have been replaced, porch demolition. • Building C: Modern construction (estimated post 1984) 1. Must retain its historical integrity, meaning the building has not been significantly altered in ways that remove or obscure important historic materials or features • Original Structure: Does not retain historical integrity. Structure has undergone major exterior modification. Examples: windows have been replaced, window styles have been altered, porch was enclosed, stucco was redone, roof has been replaced • Add-On: Modern building which has no historical integrity. 600 Harthan No Longer has its Original Historic Integrity and Much of the Structure is Not at Least 50 Years Old Criteria to be a Contributing Structure: Historical Significance 1. Association with events that have made a significant contribution to broad patterns of history 2. Association with persons significant in history 3. Architectural merit, such as being a representative example of a style, method of construction, or work of a master 4. Potential to yield important information in history or prehistory Buildings A, B, & C Building D 1. Association with events that have made a significant contribution to 1. Association with events that have made a significant contribution to broad patterns of history • No broad patterns of history • No 2. Association with persons significant in history 2. Association with persons significant in history • The buildings have largely been occupied by varied rents and are not associated with persons significant in history. 3. Architectural merit • No 3. Architectural merit • • The structures no longer resemble the original, historic structures. The architectural merit of Building B, the original western structure, has been lost by dramatic exterior modifications. • The original structure retains very few historic features and no longer has architectural merit. Moreover, the building now lacks structural integrity due to decades of poor care. 4. Potential to yield important information in history or prehistory 4. Potential to yield important information in history or prehistory • No indication • No indication 600 Harthan No Longer has its Original Historic Integrity and Much of the Structure is Not at Least 50 Years Old Criteria to be a Contributing Structure: Compatibility with the District 1. The building should help define the historic character of the district 2. It should share common features, scale, materials, and setting with other contributing resources in the area Excerpts from the Harthan Street Preservation Plan and Design Standards: • • • All the houses in the LHD were built prior to 1920 except for “the Spanish Colonial Revival house at 600 Harthan Street [which] is the newest construction in the District dating from 1930.” “The vast majority of contributing houses on the street retain their original siding materials, windows, doors, and porch railings” • 600 Harthan does not retain its original siding materials, windows, doors, or porch railings. “Two houses have non-historic standing-seam metal roofs; the Spanish Colonial Revival house at 600 Harthan Street has a tile roof.” • Two of the buildings at 600 Harthan have non-historic metal roofs, and the tile roof was replaced in the 1980s at the earliest. • “Five of the nine contributing houses have their original wood siding. The Spanish Colonial Revival house and its associated buildings at 600 Harthan Street are all stucco.” • The eastern structures at 600 Harthan originally had wood siding which has since been destroyed by the stucco covering. Moreover, the stucco that is on the existing structure is not original. “One of the key reasons the house at 607 Harthan Street is considered non-contributing is that a large fixed-pane window has been installed into its front façade” • The vast majority of windows at 600 Harthan have been replaced. Additionally, many of the windows are in different locations and of different sizes than the original structure. “All of the porches on the contributing houses retain their original posts, including single and paired square posts and round columns.” • This is not true of 600 Harthan. The eastern building had its porches completely removed, and the porch on the western building has been enclosed. • • “Besides the apartment units at 600 Harthan Street, there are no garage apartments in the District.” • • “With the exception of 600 Harthan Street, none of the houses have walls which service as barriers to the property.” Note: The building has not been maintained in accordance with the Harthan Street Preservation Plan and Design Standards and has lost its historic character. Original House (Building B) does not Resemble the Existing Structure in 2025 600 Harthan has undergone significant exterior modifications, resulting in the loss of the property’s historical integrity Roof has been replaced Eastern wing of the property has been completely removed Original porches have been demolished Original windows have been replaced, and the location of windows has changed • Note: “One of the key reasons the house at 607 Harthan” was categorized as “Not Contributing” was because the windows had been altered Most of the front façade has been covered by the apartment building (Building A) Exterior features have been added Chimneys have been removed Wood siding has been covered with stucco (entire exterior) Original Portion of Building D has Undergone Dramatic Exterior Alterations – View from Harthan Street Circa early 1930s 2025 Exterior historical features have been altered and/or removed: Exterior building materials have been replaced: Porch has been covered Stucco has been replaced and/or refinished (entire exterior) Original windows have been replaced, and new windows are taller Roof has been replaced (entire roof) Exterior wall has been redone; grated opening have been covered, and the walls was built higher Much of the Existing Structure was Added-On Contemporaneously (circa 1984) ADD-ON Modern Features have been added to the Exterior of the Bldg. D, including stucco alterations, steel lintels, and new windows Doors have been replaced, and exterior modifications are modern. Added steel lintel and stucco protrusions are not historic. Windows in the property date from 2002 – 2011. Photo of the Original Structure (Bldg. D) circa 2007 Reveals Further Modern Modifications The original street facing windows were replaced with larger, modern windows of a differing style. It is important to note, that this is the reason 607 Harthan is considered “Non-Contributing”. 607 Harthan “has been slightly altered by the addition of a picture window and metal porch posts. For this reason, it is considered non-contributing” (Zoning Change Review Sheet C14H-07-0015). Historic Features of the Exterior Wall have been Removed and Modern Features have been Added Grated openings were removed The wall is higher than it was originally Detailing added to the top of the wall Original Porch has been Enclosed