SEE:Tiverton's 1872 Nathanial Church mansion threatened by Demolition
The owers of an iconic Tiverton historic landmark have applied for a demolition permit to raze the 1872 Nathanial Church mansion, a 12-room, Second Empire house, whose distinctive mansard roof and cupola have been part of the Town's cultural landscape for generations. A CRMC permit hearing is scheduled for September on the proposal.
The Holy Union Sisters, of Milton, Massachusetts, have signed a purchase agreement with local developer James J. Karam for the 16-acre Tiverton property that fronts Nanaquaket Road and the Sakonnet and Quaket rivers. Holy Union abandoned the property as a convent in 2005. The Tiverton Open Space and Conservation Commission, the Tiverton Land Trust, and the Nanaquaket neighborhood tried to gather support for buying the historic site for town use. Unfortunately, the coalition could not secure adequate funding and its bid was rejected.
Tiverton has no Historic District zoning protection for the property, and lacks authority to stop the demolition of the structures. All that is now required is approval for demolition from the Coastal Resource Management Council. The Tiverton Conservation Commission has sent a letter of objection to CRMC Executive Director Grover Fugate.
Mr. Karam plans to demolish the Nathanial Church House and its outbuildings, and construct five single family waterfront homes. Anyone interested in trying to save the building should contact Stuart Hardy of the Tiverton Conservation Commission at shardy@umuc.edu or 624-8283.
http://www.preserveri.org/index.htm
FOR PICTURE OF BUILDING
It's a shame when local developers like Karam want to destroy both the history and the character of a small town like Tiverton.
Fall River, in total, is one of the ugliest cities on the Southcoast from its 1960s urban renewal binge. Guess it's fitting for a Fall River businessman to spread the ugliness to its neighboring town.