Trust for Architectural Easements Supports Preservation Efforts in Holden, Massachusetts

Feb. 26, 2010 - PRLog -- February 26, 2010, Holden, MA – If approved, the Eagleville Historic District in Holden, MA could be listed in the National Register of Historic Places this year.

“The National Register of Historic Places is the federal program that provides public recognition of our nation’s historic resources, whether architectural, cultural, or archaeological,” said Steve McClain, president of the Trust for Architectural Easements. “Listing a historic district is important because, in addition to honoring an area’s history, it means consideration of the district in the planning for federal undertakings and eligibility for federal tax benefits.”

Representatives of the Trust for Architectural Easements, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit organizations dedicated to voluntary preservation through easement donations, will join representatives from the Massachusetts Historical Commission and Rich Casella of Historic Documentation Company, Inc., at a public meeting on Tuesday, March 2, 2010. The meeting will give residents an opportunity to ask questions and comment on the proposed Eagleville National Register Historic District listing.

The proposed Eagleville Historic District encompasses a small textile mill village that developed and prospered from the early 19th century until the middle of the 20th century.  The historic district is anchored by the complex of brick mill buildings that operated under the names Eagle Manufacturing Company and Jefferson Manufacturing Company.  For many years, the mill was the sole employer for the entire population of the village.  The proposed Eagleville Historic District contains an undisturbed collection of 19th century worker housing.  Eagleville is considered the only remaining mill village in Holden that survives with sufficient integrity.

Tuesday’s public meeting will be held at the Holden Town Hall second floor in the Memorial Room at 7 p.m. The history of the proposed National Register Historic District and the impact that the designation would have on local property owners will be discussed in detail. The rights of owners in the district would not be curtailed by listing, but some federal tax benefits would become available if the district is listed in the National Register.  Federal tax benefits include tax credits for substantial rehabilitation of income-producing properties and tax deductions for the donation of historic preservation easements.  Listing would also afford some protection from federally licensed, permitted, or funded projects that would adversely affect properties in the proposed Eagleville Historic District.

The Trust for Architectural Easements protects more than 800 historic buildings across the United States. For more information about the proposed nomination of the Eagleville Historic District, the Trust’s local preservation efforts, the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentive Program and the donation process, contact the Trust at 1-888-831-2107 or visit www.architecturaltrust.org.

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The Trust for Architectural Easements is one of the nation’s largest non-profit organizations dedicated to voluntary preservation through easement donations. The Trust protects more than 800 historic buildings across the United States.