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An Eye on History
Middletown Considers Telling Property Owners 100-Year-Old Buildings Must Be Saved By Laura Arenschield
The Winchester Star
In the next few years, Middletown’s historic buildings might be granted immunity from destruction.
The moratorium would come in the form of Town Council mandate that would require owners of century buildings to obtain a permit before the structures could be leveled. Though the mandate has not yet been proposed, councilors have discussed the possibility.
Most of Middletown’s historic district lies along Main Street. Some buildings there are in good repair: though built in the late 1700s and early 1800s, their walls look almost new, protected by a fresh coat of paint and an respectful eye for history.
Some buildings have not been maintained as well. Peeling paint covers sagging wood.
Regardless, some of these homes have been in families for generations, Town Councilor Martha H. Ingram said.
These families do not want to be told what color to paint their homes, she said.
The protective measure, called an “overlay” in town legislative jargon, likely would be less restrictive than similar mandates in nearby towns, dictating only that buildings more than 100 years old not be torn down without permission, Ingram said.
“Most of your historical districts have these overlays and they’ve got these rules and regulations that are like an inch thick and they’ve got review boards and if you live in a historical district you can’t change the color of your house,” Ingram said.
Ingram said if the Town Council develops a protective measure for the historic district, it probably will not limit aesthetic changes, such as paint color, to the buildings.
Most people in Middletown don’t want that much restriction, she added.
Leo Macy Bernstein, owner of the Wayside Inn, 7783 Main St., said he wouldn’t mind more restrictions.
“I think [historic buildings] should be kept to their original figurations,” Bernstein said. “And they should be kept as much as possible ...the same ... as they were when the town started in 1796.”
Buildings should only be repainted or renovated to make the structures appear as they did when first built, Bernstein said.
Tess Klimm, president of the Middletown Heritage Society and member of the Middletown Planning Commission, said the buildings themselves cannot salvage the town’s history.
The society’s purpose is not to zone the town, she added.
“A building without the story behind it is just a building,” Klimm said. “I don’t know that I feel that every building in Middletown ought to necessarily be preserved.”
The heritage society supports preservation, Klimm said.
“If somebody wanted to tear down a building, the group might try to get funds to buy it or something,” she said.
Still, town citizens do not want to be told how to manage their property, Ingram said. And even if they did, she’s not sure she would want the council to do that.
“The beauty of Middletown is that it is eclectic,” Ingram said. “You know how a lot of small towns are almost plastic they’re so perfect? I don’t know that the general population of Middletown really wants everything to be so perfect.”
Bernstein said preserving Middletown’s historic buildings in their original state will improve the town’s values.
“The more we think of our past the better it will be for America because the past was more beautiful in many ways ...it was emotionally more beautiful,” Bernstein said. “If we can go back to those times and the attitudes of those people, it is better for our young people.”
Middletown Considers Telling Property Owners 100-Year-Old Buildings Must Be Saved By Laura Arenschield
The Winchester Star
In the next few years, Middletown’s historic buildings might be granted immunity from destruction.
The moratorium would come in the form of Town Council mandate that would require owners of century buildings to obtain a permit before the structures could be leveled. Though the mandate has not yet been proposed, councilors have discussed the possibility.
Most of Middletown’s historic district lies along Main Street. Some buildings there are in good repair: though built in the late 1700s and early 1800s, their walls look almost new, protected by a fresh coat of paint and an respectful eye for history.
Some buildings have not been maintained as well. Peeling paint covers sagging wood.
Regardless, some of these homes have been in families for generations, Town Councilor Martha H. Ingram said.
 The Wayside Inn at 7783 Main St. in Middletown is one of the area’s historic properties, and owner Leo Macy Bernstein said he favors more restrictions on historic parcels in town. Middletown’s Main Street boasts a mixture of carefully preserved historic properties, new businesses, and older homes in families for generations. The Town Council is considering requiring property owners to get permission before they demolish 100-year-old buildings. (Photos by Ginger Perry)  |
The protective measure, called an “overlay” in town legislative jargon, likely would be less restrictive than similar mandates in nearby towns, dictating only that buildings more than 100 years old not be torn down without permission, Ingram said.
“Most of your historical districts have these overlays and they’ve got these rules and regulations that are like an inch thick and they’ve got review boards and if you live in a historical district you can’t change the color of your house,” Ingram said.
Ingram said if the Town Council develops a protective measure for the historic district, it probably will not limit aesthetic changes, such as paint color, to the buildings.
Most people in Middletown don’t want that much restriction, she added.
Leo Macy Bernstein, owner of the Wayside Inn, 7783 Main St., said he wouldn’t mind more restrictions.
“I think [historic buildings] should be kept to their original figurations,” Bernstein said. “And they should be kept as much as possible ...the same ... as they were when the town started in 1796.”
Buildings should only be repainted or renovated to make the structures appear as they did when first built, Bernstein said.
Tess Klimm, president of the Middletown Heritage Society and member of the Middletown Planning Commission, said the buildings themselves cannot salvage the town’s history.
The society’s purpose is not to zone the town, she added.
“A building without the story behind it is just a building,” Klimm said. “I don’t know that I feel that every building in Middletown ought to necessarily be preserved.”
The heritage society supports preservation, Klimm said.
“If somebody wanted to tear down a building, the group might try to get funds to buy it or something,” she said.
Still, town citizens do not want to be told how to manage their property, Ingram said. And even if they did, she’s not sure she would want the council to do that.
“The beauty of Middletown is that it is eclectic,” Ingram said. “You know how a lot of small towns are almost plastic they’re so perfect? I don’t know that the general population of Middletown really wants everything to be so perfect.”
Bernstein said preserving Middletown’s historic buildings in their original state will improve the town’s values.
“The more we think of our past the better it will be for America because the past was more beautiful in many ways ...it was emotionally more beautiful,” Bernstein said. “If we can go back to those times and the attitudes of those people, it is better for our young people.”
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