All the news about Boston’s central business district has been about the Millennium Tower and the remake of Filene’s.

Sitting around the tower, however, is a lot of old Boston, much of it built after the devastating 1872 fire. It isn’t yet known if the tower will prove to be as handsome as some of the late 19th-century and early 20th-century structures near it. Look at the nine-story, 100 Franklin Street as an example of one of the best buildings in Boston.

Its materials are first rate— white marble blocks, bronze details, decorative cast iron trim and a pair of Roman centurion torchbearers mounted on either side of the main entrance. The front façade curves gracefully to match the line of the street. Every detail, from the window grilles to the fire escapes, is beautifully designed and executed. The contractor was Norcross Brothers, who also built Trinity Church.

A bank now occupies the main floor, which has suffered from modern replacement windows and a newish, banal doorway. But the building is lucky in that other classical details have been preserved.

Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, an architecture firm responsible for many handsome Boston and Cambridge structures of that era, designed the 1908 building for the Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company. It cost $1.1 million to build, said Robert J. Roche, archivist and records manager for Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott, as the firm is now known. The City of Boston currently values 100 Franklin (or 201 Devonshire, as listed in official records) at more than $22 million.

Its occupants have included the Boston Stock Exchange and the Vault, a group of business leaders who met there as they helped instigate Boston’s urban renewal in the 1950s and ’60s. Now one of its occupants is the building’s current owner, Synergy Investments, which maintains the building at a high level. It is 98.5 percent leased, according to the CoStar real estate database.

A building such as 100 Franklin is desirable, said Kirstin Blount, senior vice president at the real estate firm Colliers International, even though it does not have the large floor plate of newer skyscrapers. It is ideal for smaller firms, she said. Many of these older buildings exist in Boston since high rises account for only 29 million square feet in the approximately 63 million square feet of office space located in Boston’s business districts. The rent in older buildings, even when they are in meticulous condition, can be half that of a high rise or a new building.

The urban analyst Jane Jacobs loved older buildings, claiming they add variety in aspect, diversity in ownership and economic vitality. She believed that older buildings were required to keep streets vigorous.

But such buildings can be vulnerable. The Shreve, Crump and Low building at the corner of Arlington and Boylston is slated for demolition to make way for the Druker Company’s new building as soon as the company signs an anchor tenant.

While 100 Franklin Street looks as if its current profitability will enable it to last, it has no protection other than its owner’s good will. It is eligible for listing on the National Historic Register and is located in Boston’s Commercial Palace Historic District, designated by the National Historic Register. But those honors are not much protection, said Lynn Smiledge, chair of Boston’s Landmarks Commission.

The state-sanctioned historic districts such as those of the Back Bay and Beacon Hill have serious protections for historic structures, but there are no such Massachusetts-designated districts in Boston’s central business district, she said.

As for individual buildings, “the bar is high and the process lengthy,” Smiledge said about designating a structure as a landmark. “A building has to demonstrate significance beyond the local level or be the finest example of its style.”

That wasn’t the case for the old Shreve, Crump and Low building, even though many preservationists objected to its demolition.

Dozens of buildings in the financial district or Downtown Crossing are fine examples of the classical revival period, so 100 Franklin, for all its beauty, has company. Few older buildings demonstrate state-wide or national significance even though they may have interesting local histories. Unless a building is threatened with demolition or significant change, it typically sits on a “pending” list for a local landmark if it has any paperwork at all, said Smiledge.

            For now, such beautiful buildings as 100 Franklin Street serve proudly as contrasts to the high rises, most of which in Boston are made of lesser materials and possess little interesting detail. Perhaps the qualities of the older buildings could be the jumping off point for the design of some of the new high-rises in central Boston or the Seaport District’s mid-rises. We could do worse.

A new bakery has opened at the retail space formerly occupied
by Café Vanille at 70 Charles St. Tatte Bakery and Café, which began as a farmer’s market in 2007 and has since spawned four additional brick-and-mortar locations in Brookline and Cambridge, now offer cookies, tarts and pastries at its Beacon Hill store.

A reader submitted this photo of a car parked on Brimmer Street near Beacon Street that fell prey to a large chunk of ice last week.

Sunday night’s snowfall was enough to set a new record for snow accumulation in Boston in a single season. This winter will be something to tell our grandchildren as we will recount the bitter cold for days on end, the constant snow shoveling, the bags of rock salt that we bought to keep our sidewalks clear  (100 pounds and still counting), ice falling from roofs that smashed many car windshields and finally being able to move our cars that have been buried for almost two months.

For the first time in months, we witnessed some melting last week and this was exciting.  Our backyard actually has some bare spots and the snow that buried the rake has melted almost one foot.  Our dog’s snow park in our backyard will also become a memory as the snow that was shoveled from the roof  made mountains of almost eight feet tall that the dog just loved to either run up and down or burrow to make his hut.

As temperatures continue to rise and hopefully no more snow, these existing snow piles will continue to melt. Right now, there seems to be a lot of dog poop on the sidewalks from people who just did not pick up from the animals.  This poop is only the beginning of what maybe lurking in the snow piles.

City street cleaning will still not be happening for a few weeks and so we urge residents to start picking up the trash in front of their homes as the snow and ice start receding. The good news when street cleaning begins,  is not that you have to move move your car but that there will be almost double the amount of parking spaces that are currently in the neighborhood,

According to the calendar, Spring officially begins Friday, but as that commercial from the 1970s said “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.”

The Friends of the Public Garden Board of Directors voted on March 2 to request that Olympic events and ancillary structures proposed by Boston 2024 for Boston Common and Public Garden be relocated.

The board vote stated that plans to construct a 16,000-seat beach volleyball stadium on Boston Common constitutes exclusive use of what appears to be (according to Boston 2024 documents) three-fourths of Boston Common (calculating the area inside the security fence at 32 acres). The construction timeline estimates seven months, and most likely, the areas impacted would be unavailable for as long as a year including post-event restoration.

Approximately 35,000 people use this as their neighborhood park, and many thousands more from every neighborhood and beyond Boston use it for various forms of recreation and civic gathering. This use would reverse centuries of tradition in the spirit of Boston Common’s origins regarding public rights to use of the Common and non-privatization of public parks.

The Boston 2024 plans also include ancillary structures in the Public Garden to support the marathon and road-cycling events, directing people to stadium seating through several gated entrance points, with one quarter of the Garden behind security fencing.  The beach volleyball proposal would necessitate removal of over 50 mature trees on the Common, while the use of the Garden poses a threat of damage to this fragile botanical garden.

The Boston Common and Public Garden need to be showcases for the international community of visitors, and welcome people as places of respite during this busy three-week event, not gated venues available only to ticket holders. They should be improved over the next nine years to the high standards of excellence we are advocating for them.

Based on an understanding of the materials that have been made available to the community, the board vote requests that “Boston 2024 alter its proposal and move the beach-volleyball event out of the Boston Common; and furthermore, that any ancillary structures proposed within the Public Garden or the Boston Common to support the beach-volleyball event, the Marathon, and the road-cycling events be relocated. Furthermore, we request that no Olympics-related venues or ancillary structures be sited on the Boston Common or Public Garden.”

The Friends of the Public Garden works to preserve and enhance the Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall. For more information or to read the full vote, visit www.friendsofthepublicgarden.org.

As we cross our fingers and wish for spring, the Young Friends are gearing up for a Third Thursday Indoor Bike Class at B/Spoke Studios on Thursday, March 19th.

 There are 35 bikes available and the cost is only $30 per person. This includes shoes, water, towel and use of showers & locker room facilities. The class is from 7:30-8:15pm at B/Spoke, 101 Federal Street, Boston.

 Bring a friend and sweat it out together – the more the merrier! As a little “Yay! We did it!” celebration, champagne and nibbles will be provided after class.

 Space is limited, so visit www.bhcivic.org or call the BHCA office at 617-227-1922 to sign up today!

The Beacon Hill Market, which shuttered suddenly three weeks ago, has reopened under new management.

Ramesh and Gautam Patel of Hampden, who also operate markets in Brighton and Watertown, had a soft opening for the business at 55 Anderson St.

Ramesh Patel, one of the new owners of the Beacon Hill Market at 55 Anderson St

last week.

Ramesh said more products would be stocked over the next month as the retail space undergoes an extensive remodeling.

            A notice previously posted on the storefront indicated that the business’ former owner had been cited for more than $54,000 in outstanding rent to the landlord, Empire Realty Trust.

Jim Bordewick submitted this photo of melting ice on Pinckney Street, which he and his family thought bore a strong resemblance to a jellyfish.

The Beacon Hill Business Association (BHBA) held its annual election of officers last week at the the Hampshire. Shown above, from left, are Charles Abrahams, Vice President, Ali Ringenburg, Clerk, Josh Zakim, City Councilor and guest speaker, Nina Castellion, President, and Basharat Sheikh,Tresurer.

With the cycle of what seemed like never-ending snowstorms, this winter has tested me as a Mayor, and Boston as a community. I’ve been struck by how Bostonians have pulled together throughout this record-breaking season of storms, which surpassed the 1995-1996 figure with a current total of 108.6 inches this winter. Tackling these storms required a collaborative response, and I’m incredibly proud of everyone who has driven a plow, picked up a shovel, cleared a hydrant, or helped out in some small way. Maybe your story isn’t known, and you grabbed your shovel and walked against the wind during a snowstorm to help a senior, or maybe you helped someone get their car out when it was stuck in snow. Thank you to the everyday heroes who extended a hand to their neighbor when Boston needed them most.

During one of the storms, I passed a man in South Boston on L Street whose car was stalled off to the side of the road. My colleagues and I were able to give him a jumpstart, to help him on his way. The Office of Neighborhood Services was able to help Sharon from Mattapan, who has MS and needed access to medication, as well as Ginny in South Boston, a senior citizen who needed help shoveling. There are many more stories of Bostonians coming together to support each other this winter.

Together, the Boston Police and Inspectional Services departments gave over 1,100 rides to nurses and emergency workers. We closed the Boston Public Schools for 8 days, while keeping 14 community centers open for free childcare. Our homeless shelters have been open around-the-clock, offering daytime services and sheltering more than 600 guests each night.

The Boston Transportation Department joined Public Works, Boston Police, and Pine Street in alerting the owners of snowed-in vehicles, and clearing a path for a Pine Street Inn food delivery truck that was blocked. The truck would not have been able to deliver meals to the shelters if we hadn’t all worked together during the storm.

Given the unprecedented snowfall, I’m proud of our performance.

Our Public Works team and their contractor partners—every snowplow, dump truck, and snow melter on the streets and snow farms of Boston—worked day in and day out to make all roads passable. One billion cubic feet of snow fell on Boston’s streets last month. That’s more than twice the amount of dirt moved during all 15 years of the Big Dig. Public Works plowed 295,000 miles of roadway—roughly 12 trips around the earth. We removed over 30,000 truckloads of snow from city streets. We melted 50,000 tons at our snow farms. We took over 110,000 calls to the Mayor’s Hotline.

We are continuing our snow recovery efforts to clean up the trash left behind from the unprecedented amount of snow Boston received over a 30-day period. On February 11, Public Works began proactively surveying roads to fill potholes following the heavy use of salt and snow removal equipment used on roads as a result of the snowstorms. Since then, 500 tons of hot top has been used to fill over 3,000 potholes. This week alone, Boston’s Public Works Department’s overnight street sweeping crews have removed over 200 tons of trash from the streets of Boston, and 20 hokeys will begin to assist in trash removal efforts.

Spring arrived on March 20. Beginning on April 24, the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services will lead the annual “Boston Shines,” recruiting volunteers to tackle cleaning the streets of Boston one neighborhood at a time for three consecutive weekends. This year, as the snow melts, it’s more important than ever for us to come together as one community to help clean up our neighborhoods. I encourage everyone to get involved in Boston Shines as Boston continues to recover from the historic amount of snow we received.

This experience shows that we are a resilient city, capable of great things. We have the strength of our people, and the strength of our history, to draw from. I’m grateful to every single city worker and resident of Boston who did something positive to help lift someone up during a challenging time.  It’s hard to think of warmer days ahead, but they’re almost here.

On Tuesday, March 10, Rogerson Communities presented Mayor Martin J. Walsh with the key to Beacon House on Myrtle Street in appreciation for his administration’s support of affordable housing for elders, and specifically for making it possible for Rogerson to obtain the financing needed to purchase the property.

James Seagle, Rogerson’s president, thanked MassHousing for lending it the maximum amount and said the city’s tax reduction allowed the group to “borrow the money we needed.”

Many members of the Beacon Hill community attended the ceremony including members of the Beacon House Corporation Board: Hal Carroll, Lise Lang Striar, David Morse and Nancy Marttila.

Residents of Beacon House also came out in force to show their appreciation. Thomas Hopkins, who uses a wheelchair and has lived at Beacon House for 15 years, described his home here as the “linchpin” of his success.

Hopkins, who also serves as executive director of the Architectural Access Board for Massachusetts, said,  “I’ve become the citizen I was supposed to because I was able to live a full life.”

Walsh said it was crucial to preserve low-cost housing for seniors, even in the wealthiest neighborhoods. “

“You have to be sure there’s a component that’s affordable,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of organizations like this.”

The building has provided affordable housing since 1983, giving low-income residents an opportunity to live in the heart of the city. Of the 135 apartments, 85 are reserved for low-income seniors and 32 are rented to people with low and moderate incomes. The remaining 18 apartments are leased to Massachusetts General Hospital for out-of-town patients and visitors who cannot afford a hotel.

The Beacon Hill Civic Association invites the community to nominate candidates for the 19th Annual Beacon Award. Instituted in 1997 by the BHCA as part of its Diamond Jubilee Year, the Beacon Award annually honors those individuals or groups deserving of particular recognition for significant and sustained contribution to the Beacon Hill community.

Nomination forms are available online at www.bhcivic.org or by calling the BHCA at 617-227-1922. A new form should be completed for each individual nomination submitted and should be returned to the Beacon Hill Civic Association no later than Friday, April 10th.

Nominations will be reviewed and a winner will be selected by a committee comprising of representatives from the BHCA and the community at large. Past Beacon Award winners have been active in many neighborhood events, projects and organizations.

The 2015 Beacon Award will be presented at the BHCA 93rd Annual Meeting to be held May 18, 2015 at the Union Club of Boston.

The Beacon Hill Architectural Commission held  a public hearing on Thursday, March 19  The following determinations were made:

APPROVED

Application 15.722 BH Applicant: 66 Charles Street (continued review)

Persona Jewelry (tenant): Install fascia sign and blade sign

DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Application 15.859 BH Applicant: 28-30 Mount Vernon Street (continued review)

Grassi Design Group (architect): Remove rear dormers and construct inset roof decks and doors (minimally visible from Joy and Walnut Streets); install intercom units at entry portico

APPROVED

Application 15.929 BH Applicant: 18 Phillips Street [Vilna Shul/Boston Center for Jewish Culture]

Spencer & Vogt Group (architects): Replace concrete entry plaza and steps in kind; restore wrought iron fence and gates

DENIED

Application 15.938 BH Applicant: 12 Joy Street

Abigail Lash (owner): Paint entry vestibule cream, entry doors and stairs black; APPROVED

repaint window sash, frames, and storm windows black and install shutters

APPROVED WITH PROVISOS

Application 15.940 BH Applicant: 98 Myrtle Street

Mayer + Associates (architect): Modify primary and secondary entrances; install light fixtures; replace non- conforming 1/1 aluminum windows with 1/1 wood windows, etc.

ALL WERE APPROVED

 Administrative Review/Approval:

BH Application 15.899 34 1⁄2 Beacon Street: Install 4 storm windows

BH Application 15.936 78 Beacon Street: Remove and reset granite entry steps

BH Application 15.897 95 Beacon Street: Install 3 wood storm windows

BH Application 15.934 88 Charles Street: Install hanging blade sign on existing bracket

 BH Application 15.935 10 Chestnut Street: Masonry and ironwork repairs; replace copper gutter, downspout, and dormer cladding; repair balcony; replace window box; replace shutters; install new light fixture; replace passageway door; replace window sash in kind, reusing existing historic glass, etc.

BH Application 15.864  Hoyt Place (Beacon Hill Nursery School Playground): Replace existing stockade fence with wood plank fence

BH Application 15.937 33 Mount Vernon Street: Install wrought iron handrails at front steps

 BH Application 15.933 37 Mount Vernon Street: Replace 4 wood 6/6 windows in kind

BH Application 15.865 39-41 Mount Vernon Street: Replace non-original entry door; infill light well on east wall, replace all wood windows in kind; modify windows on Joy Street elevation, removing infilled glass blocks, etc.

BH Application 15.941 121 Mount Vernon Street: Install iron railing

BH Application 15.939 77 Pinckney Street: Relocate mail slot to front door; repaint front door Essex Green

BH Application 15.930 15 Revere Street: Repoint and repair masonry; repair and restore zinc cornice

Anyone who gets a bill from the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) might have noticed over the last few years that those bills have steadily gone up.

In fact, since 2013, rates have increased by nearly 14 percent, and by 5.05 percent just this year.

For the average homeowner in Charlestown, that can likely mean more than a $100 increase over a year, and that coming after a series of years where there were little to no increases in rates.

According to Sean Canty, a spokesman for the BWSC, rate increases have come, but the story of those rate increases is not increasing costs within the Commission. Rather, it’s about increasing MWRA rates and the little-reported – or perhaps unknown – consent decree put on the BWSC by the federal government – a move that is as costly as it has been time consuming.

“We are working with about 61 percent of our total expenses going to our purchase of MWRA water and sewer services,” Canty said. “Their amounts have gone up just about the same rate as our increases did. They’re a point of so within one another. I can assure you our operational expenses have continued to decline. It’s been a balancing act. Our water usage amounts in the City of Boston have gone down 25 percent across the board. We try to run an efficient operation and a very lean operation compared to what it could be.”

While the BWSC administers services and maintains the infrastructure in Charlestown and the rest of Boston, it gets its water from the MWRA and pays to pump its sewage to the MWRA Deer Island Treatment Plant. All of its usage of water and shipments of sewage are measured and the MWRA charges the Commission appropriately based on rates that it sets for the entire MWRA system. Those rates are applied to the measurements and that results in what is called annual MWRA charges – which the BWSC has no control over.

What the BWSC does have control over is operations expenses and capital projects – which result in borrowing and, naturally, debt service payments.

Saddled on to the BWSC, however, is an expensive consent decree from the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to correct historic violations of the Clean Water Act. Though that’s a vague type of citation, the specifics are that it requires a tremendous capital investment to do costly sewer separation projects (separating the storm water drains from the sewer system) and other underground improvements, such as lining crumbling sewer pipes and replacing older water lines.

That consent decree adds a tremendous amount of debt to the BWSC, which is reflected in rates.

The debt on the BWSC, along with its normal operations expenses, amounts to some 39 percent of the Commission’s total expenses, and is largely reflected in water and sewer rates.

“We are under a consent decree,” Canty said. “We are mandated to do sewer separation. We take advantage of the fact that we have to do this in a timely manner and get it done because the EPA is watching us…We’re under a court order to do that…One positive is we have a great bond rating for borrowing. Those projects have also led to improvements in the area beaches. We used to have beaches that were closed a lot…Now we’re at close to 96 percent of the beaches being open at all times.”

The most current rate increase of 5.05 percent went into effect on the January bill.

Friends of the Public Garden Executive Director Elizabeth Vizza with BLC’s Staff Architect Elizabeth Stifel and Director of Design Review William Young at Brewer Fountain Plaza on Boston Common.

On a recent brisk evening in March, a group of hearty Bostonians relished the opportunity to take a “Spin in the Park” to kick off the Boston Landmarks Commission’s (BLC) 40th anniversary. The tour of Boston Common, a designated landmark since 1977, was co-hosted by BLC and the Friends of the Public Garden.

Friends Executive Director Elizabeth Vizza spoke of the non-profit’s 45-year history of working in partnership with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department to care for one of Boston’s most prized treasures. She noted the challenges of caring for a heavily used urban park and reflected on several challenges America’s first public park has faced since its origins. Today, the park continues to struggle to get the necessary level of funding for care, to match the intensity of its use.

Vizza urged everyone to be aware of the needs of this “park of the people,” recalling that it was the citizens of Boston who pitched in to purchase it in 1634 as public space for generations to come.

William Young, BLC’s Director of Design Review, spoke about several significant pieces of sculpture on the Common and provided insights into what was happening in Boston and the design community that may have influenced public art at the time. The tour began at the Parade Ground at the corner of Beacon and Charles streets, and highlights included the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Parkman Bandstand, the Visitor Information Center, and Brewer Fountain Plaza. Young’s colleague, Staff Architect Elizabeth Stifel, provided an overview of a project she participated in which transformed a restroom into what is now the Earl of Sandwich, a window-service restaurant that is open from spring through the fall.

The evening was intended to end with skating on the Frog Pond, another wonderful landmark; however, due to warm weather earlier in the week it closed for the season. Nonetheless, all enjoyed the twilight stroll through the Common.

BLC XL has several events slated for 2015, including the BLC’s National Historic Preservation Month keynote event, to be held in May; a picnic and talk in Franklin Park, co-hosted by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, scheduled for July; and a harvest-themed archaeological program coinciding with National Archaeology Month in October.

For upcoming event details and announcements, follow the BLC on Facebook and Twitter (@COBLandmarks), or visit their website at boston.gov/landmarks.

Ronald Knudsen

Boston Symphony Violinist

After a long life and rich career filled with wonderful colleagues and incredible music, Ronald Knudsen passed away peacefully in the comfort of his beloved home surrounded by family at nearly the age of 84.

As a highly respected member of Boston’s professional musical community, Ron was known as a violinist, conductor and an educator. Throughout his extended career he devoted himself to bringing classical music of all kinds to the widest possible audience.

Born in Nebraska and raised in Minnesota, he studied at the MacPhail School of Music in Minneapolis and Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD. Following Peabody, he was a Tanglewood Music Center Fellow in Lenox, where he served as both the orchestra’s concertmaster and soloist.

Before coming to Boston in 1965 to join the Boston Symphony violin section, Ron was a member of the Baltimore and Detroit Symphony Orchestras. During his years as a violinist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Ron was active in many aspects of Greater Boston’s musical community. He was the original violinist in the contemporary music group Collage, and in 1971 helped to found the Curtisville Consortium, a chamber music ensemble of Boston Symphony players and friends performing in a series of chamber concerts each summer in the Berkshires. Ron was a violin soloist with the Boston Pops, Brockton Symphony, Newton Symphony and Worcester Orchestras and appeared annually in chamber music programs throughout Massachusetts. In August 2013 Ron retired from the Boston Symphony Orchestra after 48 years of service.

As a conductor Maestro Knudsen conducted numerous orchestras throughout New England and in Japan. He served as Music Director of the Brockton and Newton Symphonies prior to being invited to be Music Director of the New Philharmonia Orchestra. In June 1990 Maestro Knudsen made his conducting debut with the Boston Pops Orchestra and was a regular guest conductor with both the Boston Pops and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestras for more than 10 years. In addition, he was a guest conductor for a variety of chamber and Pops orchestras around the New England area. Throughout his conducting career and as Music Director of the New Philharmonia Orchestra Maestro Knudsen received acclaim from the press, orchestra and audiences for his programming, conducting skill and ability to bring professional standards to a non-professional orchestra. Ron was the recipient of a number of civic awards including the Newton Pride Award for Excellence in the Arts and the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce Appreciation Award.

In addition to his distinguished careers as a violinist and conductor, Ron was respected and sought after for his exceptional skill in the repair and restoration of fine old stringed instruments. He also had a great appreciation for quality craftsmanship and enjoyed restoring his historical 1878 Victorian period home.

Ron leaves his wife and soulmate of 40 years, Adrienne Hartzell Knudsen, his two children from his previous marriage to Kay Knudsen: Sato Knudsen and wife, Leslie Wisdom; Mayumi Knudsen and husband, Lewis Lear; and four grandchildren: Clara Knudsen, Emma Knudsen, Anna Lear, and Jesse Lear; his sister, Priscilla Knudsen Wheeler and husband, J. R. Wheeler and three nieces.

A memorial celebration of Ron’s life will be held later this spring. If you would like to send a message to the Knudsen family please go to: www.caringbridge.org/visit/ronaldknudsen. In lieu of flowers, gifts to the New Philharmonia Music Director Legacy Fund are gratefully appreciated: P.O. Box 610384, Newton, MA 02461.

Sarah DuLaurence Appleton

Always Loved Beacon Hill

Sarah DuLaurence Appleton died suddenly but peacefully at her home on Beacon Hill on March 9. This may surprise those who knew and loved her because, until the very end, she lived a life filled with energy, activity and fiercely expressed love for her family and her many friends.

When she campaigned for captain of the Green Team at Laurel School for Girls, her best friend prepared a campaign speech describing her as “having vaulted out of her crib on a hockey stick.” Between classes she was noted for riding a unicycle through the streets of Shaker Heights, Ohio and engaging in all manner of rough and tumble activities. All of her friends, however, knew not to bring muddy boots into the house – her room and later her home were always beautiful and spotless.

After attending Chatham College, she moved to Boston where she worked at the Childs Gallery and at the Codman Real Estate Company. With her flair for dramatic entertaining she organized a huge and splendid party at the Cambridge Boat Club so impressing John Appleton that he decided to marry her. Sarah did not disappoint. No guest can ever forget the next forty-five years of parties that she threw for all occasions with wonderful food, drink and presents for everyone.

Sarah loved Beacon Hill – so much so that she and John lived in three different locations on Mount Vernon Street during their early married life, moving from 18 to 63 and then on to number 61 where they bought one of the very first condos developed on Beacon Hill.

As their family grew, the Appletons moved from Beacon Hill to Manchester where Sarah was known for encouraging kids anytime and anywhere. She was the “Book Fair Lady” for the Memorial School where she also served as the head of the Parent Teachers Organization. Later she did the same for Brookwood School.

As her children moved on to high school at Governor Dummer, Pomfret and Deerfield, and to college at the Hartford Art School, Wheaton and Trinity, her enthusiasm followed them as she organized the first charity auction for the Governor Dummer Academy. She became the “Team Mother” for many youngsters whose parents could not attend their sports meets. She created unofficial awards of ribbons and participation gifts to many young athletes who would not otherwise have received them.

Sarah was as artistic as she was athletic, known for her talent as a painter in college and later as an extraordinary photographer who resisted going to automatic cameras for most of her life. She was fascinated by objects from the natural world and collected as many as she could – shells, fossils and rocks from the Carribean Islands to the cold shores of Maine to most of the unpaved parking lots in between.

Upon returning to Boston in the 1990s, Sarah and family lived successively at 44 Chestnut St; the Sunflower House; 250 Beacon St; and finally the Tudor on Joy Street. She and her grown daughters established a unique home decor store in Boston named, of course, Appletons’ of Newbury Street. The store focused on bringing the works of contemporary American artists and craftsmen to the public, offering original and unusual pieces not available in any other retail establishment.

After retiring from her store, Sarah and her family headed north again. Headquarters became “Spindrift” on Eastern Point, Gloucester, and then “Camp Appleton” in Prides Crossing where the six Appleton and LeStage grandchildren learned to swim and explore nature with their adoring grandparents.

Last year the Appletons returned to Beacon Hill where Sarah took great pleasure in being able to walk to the places she had always loved. She was especially delighted when someone recognized her on Charles Street asking “Aren’t you the one who had that wonderful store?”

Sarah is survived by her loving husband, John, her daughters, Hawley Appleton and Nathalie Appleton LeStage, her son, Thomas Russell Appleton, and by her six grandchildren. She is also survived by her brothers Henry and Robert and by her nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service for Sarah will be held on Saturday, April 11 at 1 p.m. at Kings Chapel, Boston. A further celebration of her life will be held following the service at the Somerset Club, Boston. Contributions she would love, would be to: Cape Ann Animal Aid, 4 Paws Lane, Gloucester 01930 where she recently contributed a room to their new facility; or, The Peter Simonds Memorial Scholarship Fund for graduating students at Manchester High School, c/o Art Landy, 118 Summer Street, Manchester, 01944

The Beacon Hill Architectural Commission will hold a public hearing on Thursday, 16 April 2015 starting at 4:00p.m. in room 801, Boston City Hall.

Subject of the hearing will be applications for Certificates of Appropriateness on the agenda below, review of architectural violations, and such business as may come before the commission, in accordance with Ch. 616 of the Acts of 1955, as amended.  Applications are available for public inspection during business hours at the offices of the Environment Department.  Applicants or their representatives are advised to attend, unless indicated otherwise below. Sign language interpreters are available upon request.

After 5:30 p.m., enter and exit City Hall at the Dock Square entrance on Congress Street (across from Faneuil Hall).

1. DESIGN REVIEW HEARING

4:00 PM

Application 15.970 BH    93 Charles Street

Applicant:        Francisco Medrano (tenant): Install plaque sign and display case at Pinckney Street elevation

4:15 PM

Application 15.971 BH    10 ½ Beacon Street [Boston Athenaeum]

Applicant:        Boston Athenaeum (owner): Install window signage; master signage plan for temporary exhibition signage

4:30 PM

Application 15.1059 BH   75 Chestnut Street

Applicant:        Jim Mooney (property manager): Replace existing roof deck and wooden railing in kind

4:45 PM

Application 15.1060 BH   90 Beacon Street

Applicant:        Paul Pawlyk (contractor): Construct roof deck on rear ell (partially visible from Beaver and Brimmer Streets)

5:00 PM

Application 15.942 BH    51 Hancock Street

Applicant:        Bradley Huggins (owner): Construct roof deck (minimally visible from the public way)

1. Administrative Review/Approval: In order to expedite the review process, the commission has delegated the approval of certain work items, such as those involving ordinary maintenance and repair, restoration or replacement, or which otherwise have a minimal impact on a building’s appearance, to the staff pending ratification at its monthly public hearing.  Having been identified as meeting these eligibility criteria and all applicable guidelines, the following applications will be approved at this hearing:

Applicants whose projects are listed under this heading NEED NOT APPEAR at the hearing.  Following the hearing, please present a copy of this agenda at the Inspectional Services Department (1010 Massachusetts Avenue) when applying for permits. ISD personnel will send an electronic copy of your building-permit application to the Environment Department. (To avoid potential confusion, the text of your building-permit application should be consistent with the project description given below.)  Commission staff will accordingly authorize the execution of the work, attaching any applicable provisos, reflecting the relevant guidelines and precedents.

► PLEASE NOTE THAT NO FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE WILL BE ISSUED for the applications listed below:  the electronic building-permit application as annotated by commission staff will constitute your Certificate of Appropriateness; this will be

valid for two years from the date of the hearing. The applicant is required to notify the commission of any project changes; failure to do so may affect the status of the approval.

If you have any questions not addressed by the above information, please consult the staff at the telephone number above, or at

Erin.Doherty@boston.gov.  Thank you.

Application 15.992 BH – 14 Beacon Street: Install safety bollard in alley at rear of property

Application 15.968 BH – 68 Beacon Street: Replace 13 wood 8/8 windows, 2 wood 4/4 windows, and 1 wood 1/1 window in kind

Application 15.1051 BH – 156 Cambridge Street: Replace three stealth flue pipes

Application 15.1057 BH – 65 Charles Street: Replace awning

Application 15.1063 BH – 33 Hancock Street: Replace basement window; rebuild patio, reusing existing bricks

Application 15.1061 BH – 24 Garden Street: Repair shutters; replace gutter

Application 15.1050 BH – 3 Joy Street: Paint and glaze windows; repaint wood entry doors to match existing; replace copper downspout

Application 15.1049 BH – 5 Joy Street: Paint and glaze windows; refinish wood entry doors; repaint fire escape black

Application 15.963 BH – 103 Mount Vernon Street: Repaint windows, shutters, window grills and window well grates black

Application 15.1055 BH – 31 Pinckney Street: Replace basement window with wood 1/1 unit

Application 15.1052 BH – 23 West Cedar Street: Spot point façade; repair brownstone sills and lintels; clean masonry

Beginning Thursday, April 2, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has closed both the Charles Bank Playground and the Lee Wading Pool, located at 280 Charles St., to assist with construction at both facilities.

DCR will be replacing the surface of the playground and is constructing a spray deck at the pool. The state agency will also reroute pedestrian and bike traffic for a 250-foot section of pathway, which runs behind the playground and pool. This section, in turn, will be rerouted to the pathway, which runs along the Storrow Drive-side of the work site weekdays from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. The playground and pool closures are expected to last until Saturday, July 4.

Rarely seen behind the brick facades of Boston’s 19th century townhouses are the kitchens within.  A special event to be held Saturday, April 11, offers a rare opportunity to do just that.

The Creative Kitchens Tour 2015 welcomes guests to step into the heart of eight distinctive homes on Beacon Hill and the Back Bay. They’ll see warm and inviting kitchens, such as one combining elegance with functionality in a home once used as a convent, another in the former home of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.  A galley kitchen has floor-to-ceiling cupboards in a rich walnut shade. A chef’s kitchen features high-end appliances, yet maintains the historic integrity of the 1840s row house.  Several kitchens open to stunning views of hidden gardens or courtyards beyond.

A limited number of tickets are available for a special Heart and Hearth Luncheon, generously hosted prior to the Tour by restaurateur Tom Kershaw at the elegant Hampshire House, a turn-of-the-century mansion overlooking the Public Garden. The menu will feature Hampshire House favorites, such as a specially prepared chicken dish, seasonal vegetables and basmati rice.

The Tour is a fundraising event for the Beacon Hill Village, which partnered with architects, florists and chefs to spotlight the creativity that goes in and comes out of the kitchens. The non-profit organization has changed the experience of growing older for hundreds of Boston residents age 50 and older. It provides activities, programs, services and opportunities for community engagement as well as access to needed assistance enabling its members to live active, independent and healthy lives.

Business sponsors of the Tour are the Cambridge Trust Company, Hingham Institution for Savings, Boston Private Bank & Trust, HouseWorks, Roche Bros., and Tarlow, Breed, Hart & Rogers, P.C.

The Creative Kitchens Tour will be held rain or shine from 1-4 p.m. on April 11. The optional Luncheon will begin at 11:45 a.m. Parking is available at the Boston Common Garage. A shuttle service is available between Beacon Hill and Back Bay.

Limited tickets for the Luncheon and Tour are $125, and should be purchased in advance. Tickets for the Tour only are $45 and may be purchased in advance at www.beaconhillvillage.org or by calling the office at 617-723-9713. They will be available on the day of the Tour for $50 at the Hampshire House, 84 Beacon Street, or at the Cambridge Trust Company, 65 Beacon Street. All proceeds benefit Beacon Hill Village. For more information, call 617-723-9713.

After what has seemed like an endless winter, we’re finally starting to see the first signs of spring emerging. As the last of the snow disappears and flowers begin to bloom, we hope that you’ll take the opportunity to recognize neighbors during the spring edition of “Beautify Beacon Hill.”

The Beacon Hill Civic Association, the Beacon Hill Garden Club, and The Beacon Hill Times are hosting the next installment of the “Beautify Beacon Hill Awards.” As you walk around our neighborhood, be sure to take pictures of the prettiest plantings that you see.  Then submit photos and addresses of outstanding neighborhood window boxes, tree pits, front-yard gardens, and containers to info@bhcivic.org.

Submissions will be accepted by the Civic Association until May 28th.  All submissions will then be judged by the Garden Club. The Beacon Hill Times, the program’s media sponsors, will publish photos of the winning entries in June.In September, the award winners from January and June will be honored at the annual Beacon Hill Block Party.

“We’re trying to get people to decorate throughout the year,” said MaryLee Halpin, executive director of the Civic Association. “Our hope is that by publicizing what people have done to decorate in the different seasons will inspire others to enhance their areas, and for this all to help make Beacon Hill prettier than it already is.”