Historical Landmark Denied

Harvard has declined the nomination of a University building for designation as a national landmark, the National Park Service said yesterday.

Patty H. Henry, a historian with the Park Service's National Historical Landmarks Program, said that 53 Church St., the current home of the Government Department's tutorial offices, was nominated in late February.

Henry said the site was chosen "because it housed the first school of architecture exclusively for women."

The Park service selected the building as part of a "women's history theme study" according to Henry, adding that Congress allocated funds to sponsor the search.

Harvard's Director of Planning Kathy Spiegelman could not be reached at her home or office yesterday.

But the University, in its letter to the National Park Service declining the nomination, stated that it "is a dynamic organization and future needs are difficult to predict."

The letter said that the University was concerned with its ability to alter the structure if the building was designated an historic landmark.

"Although the historical significance you described in the nomination form is of considerable interest, Harvard must evaluate the desirability of designating a structure...in the context of potential changes required to meet future needs."

But Henry said the University would not have been stopped from altering the 53 Church St. even if the building was designated a landmark.

"[B]eing a landmark doesn't prevent private owners from changing a structure with their own money. The site would just be de-designated," Henry said.

The designation as an historic landmark protects sites from federally or state funded actions but private owners are free to alter the building, she said.

Henry added that altering an official landmarksometimes elicits a negative reaction form thecommunity.

"A lot of the time, people are worried aboutthe bad press this would cause," she said.

Henry said that private owners have a right todecline their property's designation as alandmark.

"We have a policy that we don't override theirwishes," Henry said.

According to Charles M. Sullivan, executivedirector of the Cambridge Historical Commission,53 Church St. has been listed in the nationalregister of Historic Places since 1988 as part ofthe Harvard Square historic district.

Sullivan said that he did not know of any plansto alter 53 Church St.

The Cambridge School of architecture wasfounded in 1916. It was created to train women ata time when Harvard's graduate school of designdid not admit them.

The school moved to 53 Church Street in 1928,where it stayed until its closing in 1942, saidSullivan

Henry added that altering an official landmarksometimes elicits a negative reaction form thecommunity.

"A lot of the time, people are worried aboutthe bad press this would cause," she said.

Henry said that private owners have a right todecline their property's designation as alandmark.

"We have a policy that we don't override theirwishes," Henry said.

According to Charles M. Sullivan, executivedirector of the Cambridge Historical Commission,53 Church St. has been listed in the nationalregister of Historic Places since 1988 as part ofthe Harvard Square historic district.

Sullivan said that he did not know of any plansto alter 53 Church St.

The Cambridge School of architecture wasfounded in 1916. It was created to train women ata time when Harvard's graduate school of designdid not admit them.

The school moved to 53 Church Street in 1928,where it stayed until its closing in 1942, saidSullivan