Time Running Out To Save Historic Burlington House

BURLINGTON, MA -- A plan to build three, townhouse condominium units includes the demolition of the rundown but historically significant Jonathan Simonds House on Lexington Street. The Burlington Historical Commission approved a six-month demolition delay in December in hopes of formulating an alternative plan. The planning board's hearing on the proposal by Lexington Street Realty Trust has been continued to July 19.

The Jonathan Simonds house has been uninhabited for at least 15 years and has fallen into a state of disrepair. Simonds was a Revolutionary War soldier who later became an elected selectman, assessor, and school committeeman in the ten newly-formed town of Burlington. The house was built in 1781 and is considered a prime example of early Federal style design, with a Greek Revival addition in the 1830s and a Colonial Revival addition in the 1930s.

The demolition delay gives the commission time to find a plan to save the structure, either by restoring it on its existing site or finding a location to move it to. That order expires in July.

Andria Nemoda of the Burlington Historical Society has spearheaded efforts to find a new location for the house. The most promising site has been land on the property of the Minutemen Sportsmen's Club. The Society, however, does not have the money needed to move and restore the house.

The developer has promised to include a memorial noting the historic significance of the land, the history of the house and Simonds's role in the Revolutionary War and in Burlington history. The developer is also considering reusing some of the materials in the house in the proposed, new construction.

Previously on Patch: A Historic Burlington House Faces Demolition (April 16, 2018)

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).