Vote YES to Save the Young Mansion

 

This pivotal Special Town Meeting was held 5 years ago today
January 25, 2018. 

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The Brewer-Young Mansion at 734 Longmeadow Street was built in 1885 and is an iconic, historic landmark in Longmeadow. This 10,900 sq. ft. mansion was put on the market in 2010, but there was no interest from any residential buyers. The prior owner was foreclosed upon and evicted in 2015, and the mansion had fallen into severe disrepair. The mansion was considered too large and too costly to restore and maintain for it to ever be a private residence again.  Restoring it would cost more than $2 million.

The Longmeadow Historic Preservation Partners (LHPP) led by town residents Dr. Andrew Lam and Chris Orszulak and local general contractor Henry Clement purchased this property in September 2017. The deterioration of this structure had reached a point that they needed to act soon if the historic mansion was to be saved.

The LHPP believed that the only way to save it was to make it self-sustaining.  After analyzing all possible uses, they determined adaptive re-use as professional offices would be the most stable, sustainable way to preserve the mansion long-term. This use would also be least impactful to the Town Green and is one that can be supported by abutting homeowners.

The LHPP believed that saving this mansion would preserve and enhance Longmeadow’s historic character and the Town Green.  They planned to restore the exterior to its former grand appearance and preserve most of the historic interior as well.

One key hurdle was the rezoning of this property for professional offices only, not commercial, so it could never become a retail store, restaurant, or anything else.  This change would require a 2/3 vote at a Special Town Meeting in order to move forward.

This pivotal Special Town Meeting was held 5 years ago today on January 25, 2018.  

Below is a photo of this Special Town Meeting with Dr. Andrew Lam outlining the plans before a packed Longmeadow High School gymnasium of some 1,250 Longmeadow voters. 

In the weeks leading up to this STM there was significant opposition to this plan particularly by some owners living on the perimeter of the Town Green.  In the end the zoning change from Residential A-1 to Professional District passed by ahttps://gofund.me/8663ddc3 narrow margin of 857-381 (2/3 approval vote required).

Dr. Andrew Lam Outlining Plans for the B-Y Mansion
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Today, the Brewer-Young Mansion at 734 Longmeadow Street is a vibrant building with many small businesses and entrepreneurs as well as a medical practice occupying the building.  The exterior as well as the interior of the structure have been completely renovated including restoration and preservation of many architectural and esthetic features. 

For additional information including many photos about this project visit the Save the Mansion Facebook page.

Below are some exterior photos of the mansion during the past 100+ years.

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A huge THANK YOU to the Longmeadow Historic Preservation Partners who have certainly delivered on their promise to rejuvenate the Brewer-Young Mansion (both inside and outside) and have returned it to its status as a historic gem on the Longmeadow Town Green.

 by Jim Moran/ Guest Historian