Historical Society Board Member Laments Planned Demolitions

To the editor:
We preservation-minded citizens lament the intentional demolition of five more historic 
structures in our town. In 2013, demolition of four out of the five applicants for demolition 
proceeded without objection. The fifth property is the ca. 1810 Samuel S. Meigs House at 586 
Boston Post Road, which is in the Madison Green National Historic District. The Madison 
Historic District Commission filed an objection to its September 16, 2013, application for 
demolition to encourage the applicant to find an alternative solution in order to save the building. 
The 90-day demolition delay for the Meigs House has unfortunately run out, and, to our 
knowledge, no solution to save the house was found.
It is disheartening to see important historic structures considered primarily for commercial value. 
As stewards of Madison’s historic resources, we believe our historic structures are critical to 
Madison’s basic character, representative of communities of the past and vital to present and 
future communities. This position was reinforced by the Madison 2013 Plan of Conservation & 
Development, which recommends that Madison protect historic resources and encourage and 
support owners of historical resources in preserving those resources. 
Looking ahead to the new year, all concerned residents of Madison have reason to feel some 
optimism. The Planning and Zoning Commission recently decided to establish a subcommittee to 
investigate the need for a blight ordinance in town. It is our shared hope that this ordinance will 
prevent property owners from passively allowing historic structures to deteriorate to a state that 
is beyond salvaging (as is the case of the deliberate owner-neglect of the property at 586 Boston 
Post Road). When neglect and deterioration conspire to make demolition the only option, an 
irreversible loss is felt by the entire community.
Respectfully submitted,
Carol Snow, Preservation Committee Chair, on behalf of the Madison Historical Society Board
203-245-2529