58 Columbus Ave. frontal view.

By Marian Berkowitz

It’s Preservation Month and time to start interviewing homeowners who received awards this year from the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission for their outstanding restoration work on the exterior of their properties. What a great time to walk through the neighborhoods as everything is in bloom.

For my first interview, I met with Bill Gage who lives on Columbus Avenue, one of many streets tucked in the hillside behind Union Square, just below Prospect Hill. His property at #58 is one of 29 historic houses included in the Columbus Avenue/Warren Avenue Local Historic District. In the section where Warren and Columbus Avenues intersect, there are a number of Mansard homes built around the same time, from 1865-1890, and some of them have been stunningly restored.

Mr. Gage received an award for all of the work he has done over a sustained period of time, most recently by replacing the inappropriate fencing and creating a lovely garden area in his backyard.

The house was first occupied by Melville Parkhurst, Somerville’s first police chief who worked nearby at the former Bow Street Police Station. When I arrived, safety barricades sat on the sidewalk where Columbus Avenue meets Warren Avenue, near the corner of his property.

58 Columbus Ave. after rear garden area.

Mr. Gage explained that a tractor trailer truck recently failed to make a clean right turn on this narrow street, pulling down the stop and street signs and damaging the remaining chain link fence that wraps around some of the property. Fortunately, no damage occurred to the side of the house where he had just finished the restoration work.

Working under the guidance of the Preservation Commission, Mr. Gage replaced the chain-link fence on the southeast corner with a 5-foot high “Concord” open top fence with pyramidal caps and a 3-foot wide gate.

The previously concrete area of the garden was replaced with a pebbled pathway leading to a red brick patio that is actually below street level, due to the hill’s slope. Another 10-foot stretch of the “Concord” style fence was installed on the rear portion, making the yard a nice quiet place to sit.

In addition, some of the upper roof shingles were repaired and a vent was installed on the side of the house for a new gas fireplace in the interior. Mr. Gage has owned and lived in this beautiful house for over 30 years.

He is delighted with the long overdue improvements, as well as the technical assistance and recognition he received from the City’s Historic Preservation Commission.