Stakeholders in Uphams Corner want the central section of the neighborhood to be recognized as a National Historic District – a designation that must be granted by state and federal authorities. Such a status could bring new resources to the Dorchester crossroads.

The effort is being led by the Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (EDC). An online meeting, hosted by the Boston Landmarks Commission, has been scheduled for Wed., Nov. 29, at 6:30 p.m.

A National Historic District, officially known as a listing on the National Register of Historic Places, is a grouping of properties that are collectively representative of a period of time, are reflective of a community’s development, or of an architectural style, according to the National Park Service (NPS), which has jurisdiction over such districts along with the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC).

Buildings in an approved district can be related historically or architecturally, but they collectively have significance, and are therefore considered collectively to be a place worthy of preservation. Unlike a city-authorized Landmarks District like Beacon Hill, no entity supervises a historic district. It is simply a grouping of historic buildings that are eligible for certain funding incentives intended to encourage their preservation.

The proposed district boundaries would include Bird Street, Columbia Road, Cushing Avenue, Dudley Street, Hamlet Street, Hancock Street, and Stoughton Street.

Dorchester Bay EDC said it began exploring the feasibility of the designation in 2016 and made presentations to neighborhood leaders and affected property owners, including Uphams Corner Health, Uphams Corner Main Streets, and Pilgrim Congregational Church, among others.

“Having received positive feedback, we began the application process for designation of Uphams Corner as a Historic District in 2017 as a district designation would make historic tax credits available for rehabilitation of the Pierce Building,” said Susan Chu, director of real estate for Dorchester Bay EDC.

In May of that year, the Mass Historical Commission (MHC) determined that Uphams Corner was eligible for the designation and provided recommendations for certain properties to be added to the proposed district map.  In March 2018, a nomination form was submitted to MHC by a consultant, Epsilon.

The next step is a series of meetings that will take place in the community before the MHC’s Review Board considers the matter at a meeting set for Dec. 13 at 1 p.m.

“Forming a historic district would allow Dorchester Bay EDC to access close to $1.5 million in historic tax credit equity, which it would use to fully rehab the Pierce Building, one of the entry points to the UCMS district,” read an informational statement that the EDC produced.

“The proposed historic district would have no effect on property owners unless they plan to use federal funding to rehab their buildings, but would give the [Main Streets] district the added benefit of being able to advertise itself as a historic area listed on the National Register and would allow property owners access to additional sources of federal funds for major rehab projects.”

The federal designation is not like a Boston Landmarks district and does not carry the detailed reviews of renovations and construction that those districts require. However, if federal funds are used for a renovation, then the project would need to be reviewed by MHC and get a statement of “no adverse effect” before proceeding.

An example would be that if a building has a slate roof currently, and federal funds are used to replace it, the slate roof would have to be replicated; shingles could not be used instead. Likewise, if a building owner is replacing bricks using federal funds, they would have to match the original brick as closely as possible.

Also, there would be no reviews for lighting, paint colors or signage on buildings, such as in Boston Landmarks districts.
An additional benefit to property owners in a Historic District is that federal and state tax credits of up to 20 percent each to repair or maintain a building’s historic features.

Conditions at older buildings in the district like the Pierce Building could be affected positively by the designation, including the Strand Theatre, the Dorchester Savings Bank building, Fox Hall, the Columbia Square building, the Municipal Building, the Pilgrim Church building, and several others.