Is the Sparhawk House Worth Saving?

Despite popular opinion, a few buildings in Brighton are worth protecting form the bulldozer. But is the Sparhawk house one of them?

Built in 1802, this Federal period farmhouse at 45 Murdock Street was originally built for cattleman and Brighton selectman Edward Sparhawk. It is the fourth-oldest building in Brighton, notable because the Sparhawks were a prominent family of early Boston settlers.

In 1875, the farmhouse was relocated, and turned into a two-family home. Over the years, owners substantially altered the building changing the windows and adding aluminum siding. Today, the house appears sadly ordinary, though it is surrounded by several interesting Victorians.

The Boston Landmarks Commission recently recommended the preservation of the house but declined to designate it a landmark since it doesn’t have enough historical importance or architectural distinction. The current owner wants to demolish the decrepit building and replace it with housing for six families. Meanwhile, many observers agree with the Brighton Tab, which says “a community like Allston-Brighton that is rapidly losing its history needs to do what it can to preserve as much of that history as it can.”

So should the Sparhawk house be saved? There’s a City Hall meeting tomorrow to decide this question. While I’m all for preserving history when we can, I’m not sure that holding onto a poorly-maintained, heavily-altered house does Brighton any good. Maybe it would be better to rebuild well-planned, energy-efficient family housing in keeping with the style and size of neighboring residences.

The Landmarks Commission came up with an alternative to complete demolition. It suggested using state and federal tax credits to turn the existing house into three separate units and construct another three-unit building on the property. The proposal is meant to satisfy both the preservationists and developer.

For the Sparhawk house, another renovation will be another departure from its original incarnation as a single-family farmhouse. So what’s the point? With all the changes, the house will have even less historical significance. Why not build something that better meets the needs of today’s families?

If the Price is Right: Price Reductions in Brookline, Brighton

Sweet Digs Boston Home