Creek Farm
A threat of demolition to Creek Farm's mansion house
in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, by the venerable non-profit Society
for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests was the topic of Richard
Candee's seminar AM 780 Problems in Historic Preservation in 2001.
This house, designed in 1887-88 by Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow
for the Carey family, had been remodeled into eleven apartments
by its owners Chester and Lillian Noel. Its sale to the Society
for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests in September 2000 by
Mrs. Noel seemed laudable: to create a nature preserve in an urban
setting for the use and enjoyment of the public. But her deed agreement
required the SPNHF to "raze or remove" the main house
within two years after her death or upon relinquishment of her life
estate in the property. While the NH Division of Historical Resources
determined the house was eligible for the National Register of Historic
Places, the press began to address the difficulties this presented
to both land conservationists and preservationists.
The semester-long seminar studied the major issues surrounding the
acquisition of Creek Farm by the Society and its plan to demolish
this major architectural landmark. In addition to providing contextual
background on Creek Farm and the significance of its major building,
the course considered a range of alternatives to demolition--from
partnership ideas to real estate development possibilities -- which
encompass stewardship ideals. The class report detailed its future
use as affordable housing for the arts community (an identified
need in the seacoast) that has continuity with both the history
and architecture of Creek Farm. In a final public presentation at
the Portsmouth Music Hall students demonstrated that demolition
of the house was not an absolute requirement and provided vital
information to aid in the pursuit of a constructive management plan
for Creek Farm and its historic resources.
A 'blue-ribbon' committee appointed by the Forest Society decided
four months later that all this could, in fact, be done. As a result,
Mrs. Noel removed the stipulation for demolition from the deed and
continued to live at Creek Farm with the other tenants. Her death
on May 25, 2004, triggered the implementation of the Forest Society's
agreements. |
