NEWS

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  • 14 Nov 2023 9:48 AM | Web Wrangler (Administrator)

    The NPT fall 2023 newsletter
    is hot off the press, and
     available HERE

    In this issue:

    - Opposition grows to stop Pink House demolition: The long-running saga of the Pink House continues, and citizens can voice their opinions at a public forum on Monday, November 20. (Read more in the newsletter.)

    - Newburyport City Council passes regulations limiting short-term rentals: In another long-running saga, the City Council approved an ordinance to regulate the operation of short-term rental units. (Read more in the newsletter.) 

    - Historic House Plaque Program: The latest news on NPT's ever-expanding Historic House Plaque Program. (Read more in the newsletter.)

    - Preservation Conserves Energy: Read how the embedded energy and natural resources in older homes makes them the "greenest" buildings we have today. This article by NPT founder Linda Miller was published in the Daily News as part of the series coordinated by the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards (ACES). (Read more in the newsletter.)

    - In the news, here and there ...: Mark your calendar for the annual William Lloyd Garrison lecture on December 9 ... and keep an eye out for a big-screen showing of the documentary A Measure of Change at The Screening Room in mid-winter. (Read more in the newsletter.)

  • 08 Aug 2023 11:07 AM | Web Wrangler (Administrator)

    The NPT summer 2023 newsletter
    is hot off the press, and
     available HERE

    In this issue:

    - A recap of Preservation Weekend 2023: NPT's signature annual event was held May 19-21, with programs centered on this year's photography-related theme, "Focus On History." This year also featured the return of NPT's Preservation Awards in multiple categories. (Read more about the award recipients in the newsletter.)

    - In the news ... here and there: Expand horizons and gather insights with local and regional preservation-related news. (Read more in the newsletter.)

    - Historic House Plaque Program: An update on NPT's ever-expanding Historic House Plaque Program. (Read more in the newsletter.)

  • 11 Nov 2022 11:33 AM | Web Wrangler (Administrator)

    The NPT fall 2022 newsletter is hot off the press
    ... and available in easy-to-read PDF format HERE.

    In this issue:

    - New interpretive panels installed at William Lloyd Garrison birthplace on School Street. (Read more in the newsletter.)

    - Impasse on regulation of short-term rentals exposes the clash of profiteers vs. neighborhoods. (Read more in the newsletter.)

    - A shiny new NPT bronze plaque for the Newburyport's 1835 Custom House. (Read more in the newsletter.)

    - Zoning Board of Appeals denies massive shed dormer on a 1657 First Period house. (Read more in the newsletter.)

    - Great gift idea: If This House Could Talk - 2022 edition ... in paperback and hardcover!. (Read more in the newsletter.)

    - William Lloyd Garrison lecture on Dec. 10, 2022 will feature Prof. Kabria Baumgartner. (Read more in the newsletter.)

    - This Old House TV series features Oakland St. home ... and its new plaque from NPT's Historic House Plaque Program. (Read more in the newsletter.)

    - Coming in 2023: A newly-conceived NPT newsletter. (Read more in the newsletter.)

  • 22 May 2022 10:18 PM | Web Wrangler (Administrator)

    PRESERVATION WEEK 2022:
    BACK IN PERSON ... AND A ROUSING SUCCESS

    Thanks to all who attended Preservation Week 2022 events ... finally back in-person this year after a two-year pandemic time-out. This year's Preservation Week theme, "The Mills of Newburyport The Dream That Ran Out of Steam," focused on the city's industrial buildings, past and present. The May 20-22 activities featured the context-rich illustrated lecture at the Custom House Maritime Museum (full house sold out!), two guided outdoor walking tours (standing room only!), and two self-guided tours. The programs celebrated the adaptation of our old-but-still-robust mill buildings for new uses. To fully enjoy and scrutinize the photos, maps, diagrams, and pithy insights of the keynote illustrated lecture by R.W. Bacon, click here. (A complete video of the presentation may be forthcoming.)


  • 17 Nov 2021 9:08 PM | Web Wrangler (Administrator)

    NPT's Historic House Buyer's Guide

    NPT’s new Historic House Buyer’s Guide is an information-packed brochure prepared especially for those exploring the purchase of an older home in Newburyport.

    The concisely presented content includes (1) a guide to period styles; (2) how to recognize evidence of quality craftsmanship; (3) what details to look for ... and care for ... and why; (4) how preservation adds value to a home in Newburyport; and (5) NPT preservation resources and consultations.

    Conceived by NPT member/volunteer Jack Santos and crafted to final form with NPT board input and assistance, the hope is that this introductory brochure will help prospective owners of an older home in Newburyport understand the value of preservation and responsible stewardship.

    While the brochure will be useful for real estate professionals and their clients, and will reach prospective homebuyers at an assortment of public locations, a handy PDF file with the same brochure content deployed on three standard-size pages – printable, downloadable, and suitable for email sharing – is available at the Historic House Buyer’s Guide page at the NPT website.

    By the way, as noted on the brochure: “Historic” = Antique, vintage, period, or just plain “old” homes endowed with imbedded natural resources, craftsmanship, and presence!


  • 31 Jul 2019 11:30 AM | Web Wrangler (Administrator)

    The HABS and the 'HABs NOTS':
    Documenting the Architecture of Newburyport
    in the Historic American Buildings Survey
    by R.W. Bacon
    8.5 x 11.0 casebound; 160 pages;
    ISBN: 978-0-9977528-1-6; LOC: 2016920943

    "The newest must-have book on Newburyport architecture."
    - Northshore Magazine

    The HABS and the HABs Nots takes a look back at the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), the federal program that advanced historic preservation in the 1930s. For viewing pleasure, the book presents the crisp analog photos and elegant measured drawings for surveys conducted in Newburyport, Mass., a small coastal city known widely for the riches of its authentic 18th- and 19th-century domestic architecture.

    The "HABs Nots" Gallery then takes a look at the future of preservation in the once down-and-out but rejuvenated port city. The city's smaller-footprint historic homes, never the subject of the HABS-like attention lavished upon Georgian and Federal-style showplaces, fill the city's 750-acre National Register Historic District and contribute to its ambiance. Yet their authenticity is at the greatest risk of being lost to the "march of progress."

    For additional context, the book includes chapters on the economic history of Newburyport; the origin of the HABS program; and the earlier efforts at documentation. Also included is an illustrated guide to 300 years of house styles in Newburyport, plus a bibliography-by-topic for history enthusiasts and preservation advocates.

    The book garnered publishing industry recognition as the recipient of the 2017 Book Award for Informational Nonfiction from the Independent Publishers of New England (IPNE).

    See and read sample pages here, including the front and back cover, table of contents, introduction, a typical HABS two-page spread, and the rationale for the "HABs Nots" Gallery that celebrates Newburyport's modest-sized historic homes.

    This award-winning book is available for online purchase ($35 includes shipping) from (1) the Newburyport Preservation Trust, (2)  directly from the publisher ($35 includes shipping), Variety Arts Press, and (3) at slightly additional cost, from Amazon.com.

    About the author: Reginald W. Bacon is a museum and history professional with specialties in 17th- and 18th-century New England architecture and domestic life – and early 20th-century vaudeville and circus. His first career as a journalist, editor, and designer informs his current work in the museum field. A 35-year career as a touring professional acrobatic juggler and jazz/ragtime musician informed his performing arts research. He is the author of ten books on under-the-radar history, performing arts, and editorial/graphics topics. In a "busman's holiday" sort of way, he serves on the board of directors of several history and preservation organizations, including on the "working board" of the Newburyport Preservation Trust.


  • 31 Jul 2019 11:15 AM | Web Wrangler (Administrator)

    This news item is always current: Newburyport residents can monitor the pulse of preservation at meetings of the city's Historical Commission, City Council, Zoning Board of Appeals, and other boards and committees.

    The Newburyport Historical Commission meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, City Hall, 60 Pleasant Street, Newburyport.

    The Newburyport Zoning Board of Appeals meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, City Hall, 60 Pleasant Street, Newburyport.

    Confirm specific meeting dates and times for the City Council and other boards at the city's online meeting calendar.

  • 31 Jul 2019 11:15 AM | Web Wrangler (Administrator)

    A Measure of Change (1975) by Lawrence Rosenblum is a must-see eye-opener for every new arrival to Newburyport, and for those who may have forgotten the 1960s-70s. In just 29 minutes, the video documentary examines the landmark decision to use historic preservation principles for the first time in federal HUD urban renewal projects. Because of its relevance to multiple preservation topics, links to this video can be found in several places on the NPT web site, including the Preservation Resources & Links page. Or, you can go directly to the video here.

  • 31 Jul 2019 11:10 AM | Web Wrangler (Administrator)

    Visit the Newburyport Preservation Trust on Facebook! For the most up-to-date NPT news, members and website users are urged to visit and multiply.

    While the NPT website is a massive compilation of valuable content, our Facebook page promises wider and more immediate contact for our "calls to action" and preservation advocacy efforts. The very nature of Facebook, with contacts multiplying faster than rabbits, boosts the profile of NPT in Newburyport and beyond.

    To visit the public Facebook page and click your lasting affection, here is the link: www.facebook.com/newburyportpreservationtrust. Make sure to visit often to keep up with the latest developments on the preservation front.

  • 10 Jul 2016 10:48 AM | Web Wrangler (Administrator)
    Wipe off the frown ... and replace it with "Amazon Smile"!

    Do you buy stuff on Amazon.com? Of course you do! Even if you don't shop there for all your thingamajigs and watchamacallits, you surely go to Amazon.com for access to scholarly tomes, obscure literature, and hard-to-find recordings.

    Now, when you shop at Amazon.com, make sure to sign in through the "Amazon Smile" program, and a whopping 0.5% of your purchase price will go to support the Newburyport Preservation Trust! Don't laugh --- it all adds up! So the next time you browse Amazon.com, wipe off the frown and click on this link to Amazon Smile.

    Better yet, copy the link to your desktop for even faster and easier access!

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