PRESS RELEASE – Prescott House
Demolition Permit for the Historic Prescott House to be Issued on November 5, 2024
The Groton Historical Commission wishes to make the public aware that it has no further ability to delay or prevent the issuance of a demolition permit for the historic Prescott House, located at 170 Old Ayer Road. Now situated on the campus of Groton Hill Music, a demolition permit for this historic home must be issued once the 18-month demolition delay expires on November 5, 2024.
Home to a series of distinguished residents, the Prescott House, also known as Hillbrook, was built around 1793 for Dr. Oliver Prescott Jr., a representative of Groton’s dynasty of revolutionary aristocrats who helped to shape the course of the American Revolution. It is the last of the family’s homes left standing in Groton. In 2015, it was purchased by Groton Hill Music (formerly Indian Hill Music) as part of the buffer zone around their music center.
Since 2016, the Historical Commission has worked with Groton Hill and other community stakeholders in an attempt to find a solution to preserve the structure. No viable solution has thus far presented itself. The Commission’s only legal tool is the Town’s Demolition Delay Bylaw, which allows for a hold to be placed on the issuance of a demolition permit for historically significant structures for up to eighteen months. That bylaw was enforced on May 5, 2023, and is now nearly exhausted.
Considerable effort has been expended to preserve key features of the house. With the help of the Groton History Center, the Community Preservation Committee, and Groton Hill Music, unique and historically significant murals were removed from the building to stop them from deteriorating; they have been put on public display at the Groton Inn. Also, the Historical Commission is now in the final stages of raising funds for detailed documentation of the structure, including a LIDAR scan of the exterior and interior (allowing for 3D virtual renderings to be constructed at a future date), pictures, and an architectural narrative.
Groton Hill Music has made the house available to anyone who wants to move it to another location. The Historical Commission has advertised the house as available through various media outlets but as of the time of this press release no party has been able to develop a viable plan to move and preserve it.
Any parties interested in preserving the house are urged to contact Aubrey Theall, Chair of the Groton Historical Commission at grotonhistoricalcommission@gmail.com, as the window to preserve the house is nearly closed.
