March 19, 2024

mariandumitru

Elegant home interior

1790 sea captain’s residence to be demolished

By Michael J. DeCicco

DIGHTON — A household created in 1790 that city historians desired preserved will soon be demolished.

The winning bidder in the auction to obtain the Captain James Briggs Property at 949 Somerset Ave. has altered his brain about pursuing the town’s intention in just the ask for for proposals that the structure be moved to a different house.

As a end result, town officials will have to demolish a historic residence they experienced hoped would only be relocated somewhat than ruined.

Making commissioner James Aguiar described to the selectmen on Dec. 2 that the bidder has decided to abandon programs to repurpose the making “after carefully figuring prices and logistics.”

Aguiar said he will do the job with the Highway Division to prepare the demolition. But initial he will get rid of as many crucial products as doable from the historic residence.

“I am really dissatisfied,” Selectman Kenneth Pacheco mentioned immediately after getting the lone board member to vote from approving the demolition strategy following Aguiar’s presentation.

The James Briggs House, 949 Somerset Ave., built in 1790, will be demolished.

“As trustee of the Dighton Historic Culture,” he explained, “I have an curiosity in shielding aged houses in town. I am opposed to tearing it down like this on principle.”

The dwelling, which was built in 1790 by Dighton sea captain James Briggs, abuts city hall, and the two the property and the land it sits on are owned by the city. The Dighton Historic Commission experienced voted final yr that the Briggs Household be “ideally preserved,” and it aggressively searched for anybody to transfer the home to a diverse place.

The March 2019 Town Assembly accredited acquiring the residence but voted from renovating the house by itself mainly because of the expensive repairs needed to make it reusable. The town past yr rejected shelling out $60,000 to substitute the roof and renovate the inside.

Selectmen Chairman Brett Zografos stated the auction sale was in essence a deal offer with the requirement that the residence be moved. The city now receives to preserve the non-refundable bid supply, he mentioned.