We support protecting Monument Square
To the Editor,
There has been a great deal of discussion about the proposed Monument Square Landmark District, and understandably, residents have questions about what designation would actually mean for the people who live there.
As the Charlestown Preservation Society, we want to be clear about why we support protecting Monument Square, and what landmark designation does and does not mean.
A Landmark District is not a new tax. It does not prevent residents from decorating their homes, planting gardens, making interior renovations or performing routine maintenance. It does not require homeowners to suddenly replace existing windows, doors, siding or other features simply because a district is created.
What it does provide is a framework for reviewing significant exterior changes, new construction and demolition so that the historic character of the area is considered as Monument Square continues to evolve.
Preservation does not mean freezing a neighborhood in time. Homes need to be maintained and updated, and neighborhoods inevitably change. The goal is to manage that change thoughtfully so that the characteristics that make a place historically significant are not gradually lost.
Monument Square is important to our history. The development of the surrounding house lots helped finance the preservation of the Bunker Hill battlefield and construction of the Monument itself. Today, the buildings, streetscape and Monument together create one of the neighborhood’s most recognizable historic places.
Yet the buildings surrounding Monument Square do not currently have the protections that come with designation as a local Landmark District. That means the historic character we value today is not guaranteed to remain intact for future generations.
The standards being developed through the current study process will determine which exterior changes require review and which do not, and residents should continue to ask questions and understand how those standards would affect their properties.
But landmarking should not be confused with preventing people from living in or caring for their homes.
For CPS, this is about stewardship: protecting the qualities that make Monument Square distinctive while allowing it to remain a living, evolving neighborhood.
For residents who still have questions, want to learn more about the proposal or have feedback to share, there is an important opportunity to do so. A public community meeting will be held Wednesday, October 21, from 6–8 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus, 545 Medford Street. The meeting will include an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on the proposed district. We encourage residents to attend, learn more and take part in the discussion.
Charlestown
Preservation Society