Massachusetts' popular 19th-Century Amherst home to move 'intact' to new site

A 19th-century home in Amherst, Massachusetts, US will be moved ‘intact’ to a new location, about a mile away by the state Department of Transportation, according to a report confirmed by the sources of The Daily Hampshire Gazette. The ancient 2 storey building that is situated inside the Amherst College will be moved to Route 9 hill and past Amherst College’s athletic fields, as per the decision of the Historical Commission that unanimously passed the vote. For almost over a year, the demolition of the historic home has been put on delay and the move was now encouraged by the Amherst developer Barry Roberts and led by Mark Andrews, a capital projects manager at the college. 

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To design new buildings near parcels

According to sources of Gazette, last May, the community suggested new construction on the campus near downtown Amherst that put the ancient property located near College Hall and the President’s House on the path of clearance. The historical community had then voted 4-0 to impose a yearlong demolition hold to what is also known as the ‘Martha S. Hubbard House’. Constructed in the year 1862, the greek decor single-family accommodation house at 205 South Pleasant was initially privately held, but was handed to the Amherst College. Jan Marquardt, the acting chairwoman of the commission told the newspaper that the commission wanted to design new buildings near the parcels and that would require the 1,575-square foot, two-storey home to move from the site. 

“To achieve its vision for curricular and pedagogical innovation, Amherst (College) must create a home for the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Center for Writing and Speaking,” the school’s website informed. 

“The property at 197 South Pleasant St. will be renovated to serve as a welcoming, professional space in which faculty, students, and staff may do intellectually challenging work.”

The owner of the new lot and the neighbouring property, Mark Andrews told AP that the construction of new apartments and a medical office on the ground floor will require the 19-century house to relocate. He added that the authorities were still discussing the time and date for the same with the Department of Transportation and the college is eventually planning to sell it. The popular house at the South Pleasant St. will be transformed into a center for “curricular and pedagogical innovation.” According to the state’s assessors' records, the house is worth approximately $519,596. 

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