Trust for Architectural Easements Supports Preservation of 1789 Moulton Farmstead in Newburyport, MA

June 3, 2010 - PRLog -- A significant part of Newburyport’s historic architecture faces foreclosure and possible demolition.

Built in 1789 by Noah Jackman, the Jackman-Moultan-Chase House and property has operated as a farm since its construction and is currently named Arrowhead Farms. Today the property stands much as it did in the 18th and 19th century. The farm is the oldest continuously operated business in Newburyport, and is a rare example of Massachusetts farming life.

Without help from the greater Newburyport preservation community, Dick Chase, the current owner and a descendant of the original builders, could lose the 221 year old farmhouse and 30-acre farm. “The Old Moulton Farms have quietly stood along The Old Ferry Road, as a community resource, for three hundred and twenty seven years [the farm predates the historic house]. This is Newburyport's opportunity to preserve its last remaining Eighteenth Century farm architecture and the agricultural heritage that sustained the city's maritime and mercantile history" said Dick Chase.

Polly Chase-Harrell, a preservationist who worked tirelessly to protect historic structures throughout Massachusetts was the owner of the property until her recent death. Her brother, Dick Chase, hopes to save the historic property by converting the farm to a non-profit organization committed to educating the community about the history of farming in Newburyport. “Arrowhead Farms represents a significant piece of Newburyport and Massachusetts history. The loss of such a historic landscape would mean the irreplaceable loss of a portion of the town’s history. By turning the farm into a non-profit organization and protecting it with a preservation restriction, the community will have a local living museum” said Jennifer Brennan of the Trust for Architectural Easements.  

To save the 221 year old farmhouse and preserve it forever, the Chase Family has applied to the Newburyport Preservation Committee to receive funds from the Community Preservation Act for the purchase of a historic preservation restriction to be held by the Newburyport Historical Commission. To show your support for the preservation of the 1789 Moulton Farmstead, please visit www.arrowheadfamilyfarm.com.

The Trust for Architectural Easements protects more than 830 historic buildings across the United States. For more information about the Arrowhead Family Farm, the Trust’s local preservation efforts, the easement 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.