History obscured by snow, time

By Catherine Rogers

    The recent snowstorm that blanketed Somerville under a foot of snow caused one resident to view the precipitation as a symbol more profound than winter‚Äôs coldest months.
    To An Sokolovska the snow that fell around her home on Holts Avenue, a private lane off Oak Street, represented the modernization of the city‚Äôs many historic sites, both official and unofficial.

    Over time, she said, historic significance of a building, road or plot of land will fade into the backdrop of everyday life. Sokolovska, who has worked in the building industry to redesign homes to highlight their historic connections, said Holts Avenue and the surrounding 12 homes present a good opportunity for preservation.
    The large-scale windows have been replaced with smaller, energy-efficient ones, the shale foundations were plated with brick and mortar for interim stability, and in some areas the soil was raised several feet, hiding the homes‚Äô original first floors.
     While the process of petitioning for a historic designation seems murky, members of the Somerville Historical Preservation Commission (SHPC) encourage concerned citizens to reach out for help.
     ‚ÄúI‚Äôm always delighted to work with people interested in history and preservation,‚Äù said Brandon Wilson, executive director of the SHPC.
     Over 200 properties in the city have been designated as local historical districts for their architectural or historic significance since the Historical District Ordinance of 1985. Structurally, a property should exhibit a common or unique style indicative of a time period or an association, over time, to the neighborhood, city or state.
      In 1988, the SHPC surveyed, in conjunction with a consulting firm, 150 properties in the city based on people‚Äôs calls or the consultant‚Äôs recommendations. Properties that were threatened or had a known particular value received funds for rehabilitation and preservation from a grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
      Today, historic designations can begin with the interest of a small group of community members who research ‚Äì independently or with help from the . Once the area is surveyed to meet the necessary criteria, a public comment period is held to encourage broader input.
      From there the Massachusetts Historical Commission makes recommendations and, once the changes are finalized and presented to the public again, the city‚Äôs agencies begin signing off on the proposal. The process begins with the SHPC, the Board of Aldermen, and, ultimately, the mayor.
      The time frame for preservation approval varies, but Wilson said it can be done in a matter of six months. The SHPC is currently pursuing a historic district expansion around Prospect Hill, with the comment period set to begin next month.
      The Holts Avenue site, an early road-turned-private drive originally built for horses and buggies, demonstrates a viable combination of these qualifications, said Wilson.
      ‚ÄúIt‚Äôs not just a way to get from here to there. There‚Äôs a huge a huge story behind it,‚Äù said Sokolovska.
      The 12 homes that line Holts Avenue were built in the late nineteenth century to house workers at Union Glass Company, a factory formerly located on the north side of Oak Street.