23 Summer Street - SHC comment letter to DRB I y�
Salem Historical Commission
98 WASHINGTON STREET, SALEM,MASSACHUSETTS 01970
(978)619-5685
March 26,2019
Paul Durand,Chair
Design Review Board
98 Washington Street
Salem,MA 01970
RE: Comments on Proposed New Addition at 23 Summer Street
Dear Mr.Durand:
The Salem Historical Commission reviewed the proposed demolition of existing rear additions at the historic Benjamin
Neland House (SAL.1487) at 23 Summer Street and the construction of a new addition at the property.While this
building is located just outside of the McIntire Local Historic District and the Chestnut Street National Register.
District,it is an important historic building and is a visual landmark at the entrance to the historic downtown.
The exact date of the Neland House is unclear although the inventory form completed for the building lists the
construction date as ca. 1820. Historic Salem,Inc.'s house history for the property found that a building existed on this
land in 1760,indicating that the existing house may be older and was likely enlarged and renovated over time.The
Neland House exhibits traditional Federal style features with a five bay plan,pyramidal hipped roof and foreshortened
third story.A series of single and two-story additions were added to the rear of the building during the 19th and 206
centuries.The historic building retains its wood clapboard siding,slate roof,pedimented entrance surrounds and
cornice details.
The Historical Commission is pleased to see that the main portion of the historic building will be restored.However,
we are concerned that the scale and massing of the proposed new addition is too large and overwhelms the historic
house.The result is a design that contradicts the standards set forth by the National Park Service for the design of new
additions on historic buildings:
"Avoid designs that unify the two volumes into a single architectural whole.The new addition may include
simplified architectural features that reflect,but do not duplicate,similar features on the historic building.This
approach will not impair the existing building's historic character as long as the new structure is subordinate in
size and clearly differentiated and distinguishable so that the identity of the historic structure is not lost in a
new and larger composition.The historic building must be clearly identifiable,and its physical integrity must
not be compromised by the new addition." (National Park Service Preservation Brief#14)
In addition,the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation states:
#9—New additions... shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property.The new work shall be
differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with massing,size,scale and architectural features and to
protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.
#10—New additions ... shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future,the essential form
and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
SHC Comments on Proposed Addition at 23 Summer Street
March 26,2019
Page 2
Therefore,the Commission strongly recommends that the proposed addition at 23 Summer Street be reduced in height
and the setback be increased to clearly differentiate the addition from the historic building and render the addition
subordinate. At 53 Summer Street,this could be accomplished by designing a lower"L"shaped addition extending to
the rear and side of the property to give the impression of an attached carriage house,which would make the inclusion
of garage doors on the first floor of the addition more historically appropriate.The first floor garage bays as proposed
have no historic precedent in Salem and are more typical of contemporary suburban development. In addition,the
Commission also recommends removal of the proposed rooftop balustrade (widow's walk) on the historic Neland
House and relocation of new mechanical equipment to another location unless there is documentation that a balustrade
existed on this house at one time.
Should the Design Review Board approve the new addition as proposed,the Commission offers the following design
consideration:
■ Reduce the scale and simplify the detail of cornice trim on the addition to emphasize the transition between the
historic building and the addition.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this project.
Sincerely,
4+
ssica Herbert
Chair
cc: Salem Redevelopment Authority