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Community Corner

What's So Special About Lexington Architcture, Anyway?!


WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT LEXINGTON ARCHITECTURE, ANYWAY?



The history of Lexington is written in its

buildings.  We're all familiar with the

historic taverns of 1775 that our Historical Society preserves and manages for

the benefit of the public; but there are many private buildings, homes and

other structures that represent not just of the colonial and federalist

periods, but many other important eras in our Town's history.  Have you ever wondered: Where in Lexington

can we find examples of architectural styles from the 1600s to 2013?  What is the difference between the basic Salt

Box, the Federalist style, the Gothic Revivals and our noted Mid-Century

Moderns?  What makes certain of these

properties worthy of preservation?





Join the Lexington League of Women Voters'  January First Friday program on January 3,

2014 at Cary Memorial Library at 9:15am to learn

the answers to these and other questions from two local experts who serve on

our Historic Districts Commission and our Historical Commission. 





The Historic Districts Commission reviews proposed

changes to the exterior of buildings within defined historic districts (e.g., along

the Battle Road).  The  Historical 

Commission has a broader mandate: to encourage the preservation of

properties anywhere in town that meet specific historic criteria.  Together they are charged with identifying

and protecting our architectural heritage.





Marilyn Fenollosa is a

preservation attorney and consultant in private practice. She formerly served

as Senior Program Officer and Regional Attorney for the Northeast Office of the

National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Community Preservation Program

Manager for Historic Massachusetts, Inc., the Massachusetts statewide

preservation organization now known as Preservation Massachusetts. She holds a

Masters Degree in Preservation Studies from Boston University and a law degree

from New York University, and is a member of the Massachusetts and New York

Bars. In Lexington, Marilyn serves on both the Historical Commission and the

Historic District Commission and currently chairs the Community Preservation

Committee.





Sally Zimmerman, whose background

is in architectural history and preservation planning, manages Historic New

England's Historic Homeowner membership program, which supports homeowners with

best practices preservation advice. Prior to joining Historic New England,

Sally served as a preservation planner for the City of Cambridge for almost twenty

years. She has also worked for the Massachusetts Historical Commission as an

architectural historian, and as a National Register consultant for the

Connecticut Historical Commission. Sally received her M.A. in preservation

studies from Boston University, and a B.A. in American history from Mount

Holyoke College.  Sally serves on the

Lexington Historical Commission.





Marilyn and Sally will provide a virtual tour of our

Town's architecture and describe why they are so passionate about historical

preservation in the Town of Lexington. 









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