True Tales: A Reader’s Guide to Preservation

The Revere Barn at Plymouth Rubber is one of Canton’s most historic buildings and one of America’s most endangered historic sites. (Photo by George T. Comeau)

If you are a regular reader of this column, then you know that Canton is rich in history. Every other week it is my pleasure to dip into the past and share the stories that make Canton such a special place to live. From my position as a town historian, a 30-year member of the Canton Historical Commission, and a lifelong resident, I offer these observations.

Last year at the Annual Town Meeting, the community came together and overwhelmingly supported the Community Preservation Act (CPA). The approval was the first step toward enacting what amounts to a savings account for historic preservation, housing, and open space projects. The premise is simple: A surcharge amounting to 1 percent of your property tax bill is placed in an account, and the state matches the funds with about 25 cents on the dollar. In order to use the money, the town must have a project approved at town meeting, and the money must be used for any of the areas covered by the CPA. For the most part, elderly and low-income families are exempt, and the first $100,000 of our residential property value is also exempt. The average homeowner will see a $42 increase in their tax bill. This is the only money raised through your tax bill that is controlled 100 percent by the citizens of this town.

So I ask you to support the CPA. For those of you uninterested in the concept, or have already made up your minds to vote no, then thank you for reading this far. For all others who are undecided or want to know more, please read on.

Canton is a community where we talk a lot about “quality of life.” But what does this mean? If the issue is taxes, there are so many communities with lower tax rates. And, quite frankly, the CPA is not about taxes. Many of the 148 CPA communities have enacted tax rates higher than 1 percent, and not a single community has voted to repeal the act. To date, over $1 billion has been raised across the commonwealth and used for community preservation efforts.

In Canton, we are dipping our toes into the water and trying out the concept to see if we will also bear fruit like our neighboring towns. While citizens at town meeting supported the concept and sent it to the general vote, the holdouts include the commercial tax base that sees little use in helping the community pay for preservation efforts. In fact, the Canton Economic Development Commission seeks special tax credits and at the very same time they oppose the CPA revenue-generating proposition. It is important to note that town meeting has generally supported tax credits for industries both large and small, from Reebok to Harbar. We are smart enough to know that we need to encourage industrial development and bring much-needed jobs and revenue, even if we soften our tax base. Quite simply, we pick up the tab by lowering some companies’ taxes to encourage them to stay.

As for our property taxes, there is more for you to know. Just three weeks ago the Board of Selectmen raised our taxes when they set the new higher property tax rate. No, you did not have to vote for it — they just did it, unanimously. All five selectmen levied new taxes on every single home and business without so much as a community vote or town meeting assembly. And the money they raised from the new tax rate simply goes to pay ongoing bills and municipal expenditures. So while the selectmen oppose the CPA (4-1) under the guise of not raising property taxes, they themselves do so freely to balance the budget and provide niceties such as the July 4^th festivities.

The Revere & Son Copper Rolling Mill, birthplace of the copper industry in America (Archival photo courtesy of the Canton Historical Society)

CPA funds, however, are earmarked exclusively for three specific areas: historic preservation, open space (including outdoor recreation), and affordable housing. One selectman recently stated that he felt “we are all set in these three pillars,” and so he found the CPA useless for Canton. Unfair, afoul, and untrue. From a historic perspective we have made little ground in protecting our historic treasures for future generations. At risk are the Revere Barn and Copper Rolling Mill, developed, owned and operated by Paul Revere, our nation’s first and most famous patriot. At risk is the almost 300-year-old David Tilden House, sitting there waiting for preservation money to bring it back to life. At risk are the hundreds of ancient gravestones in Canton Corner Cemetery — those of our founders who developed Canton so that we could enjoy the fruits of their labor.

How do we value our community? How do we fund innovative, low-cost solutions to leverage money in the face of competing interests? How do we ensure that the history and space we save today has a trust fund moving forward? Honestly, the CPA does this in a way that is affordable, fair, and supportive of our goals as a community. I often write about places lost forever — Doty Tavern, the Fenno House, Canton Airport, Vose Tavern, and many more. I also write about wonderful places you can still visit. Readers have struck out to find the ancient stone bridge in the woods, have walked the Ponkapoag Pond, and have visited General Gridley’s grave.

Beth Erickson, the editor of this newspaper, once asked me if I thought I would ever run out of stories. I don’t think so. Digging through tales and finding history is a wonderful challenge. We have lost more than we will ever have. And loss is important, for by deciding what to keep and what to lose, we are constantly evolving as a community. But the reality we must face is that, right now, we are not maintaining our historic sites; we are not actively using or developing our open space assets; and we are losing affordable housing stock at the expense of the over-development of Canton.

I know that you love Canton; now tell me why that is. Tell me that it is more than great schools or an easy commute. Tell me that Canton is a community that you are proud to call home. You can live anywhere. Why do you choose to live here? What is it about living in the shadow of the Great Blue Hill, in the Neponset Valley, alongside the Fowl Meadows and bordering colonial neighbors? Do you ever walk along our tree-lined streets near rambling stonewalls that were built hundreds of years ago and consider how it is that Canton is your home? Some of us were born here, some of us will die here, and in between we all strive as a community to improve our world.

The Community Preservation Act is so aptly named. As a community we get a small trust fund to preserve our community. We do so for less than it costs for a meal on a Friday night out. I am passionate about our history. The passion comes from growing up in a place that you are curious about. Seeing the footsteps of men and women who built this place. Imagining the chimneys soaring above the factories as the noonday whistle blows. Dreaming about securing ancient artifacts dropped thousands of years ago along the banks of the Neponset River. These are all dreams of a community that is passionate about place.

A historic view of the Canton Corner Cemetery, where hundreds of historic gravestones are at risk (Courtesy of the Canton Historical Society)

I leave you with a vision only made possible by the CPA. The day will come when we can launch canoes on the shores of Reservoir Pond and spend the day fishing in Crossman’s old meadows. Imagine schoolchildren touring Paul Revere’s Rolling Mill, learning that the copper industry was born in the shadow of the Canton Viaduct. And all our senior housing is freshly painted and is a source of pride for our most valuable senior residents. With the CPA, we preserve documents and photographs of our town; we repair monuments and create signage for our historic sites. With the CPA, our children learn the value of living in a place that supports the arts, nature, and respect for elders.

I can guarantee that our Board of Selectmen will always ensure that they raise our taxes to cover the budget each and every year. I can also guarantee that history and improving our open space and affordable housing assets will remain the lowest of priorities unless a fund is set aside that modestly grows for their support.

Please, do not relegate our history to the ink in this paper or in the faded memories of historians. Join the cause for preservation. Join me in voting yes on April 3, and I promise you that the shared vision of preservation will indeed become reality. We can leave this place better than we found it — and in the hands of a grateful new generation.

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