Friends of Concord-Carlisle Playing Fields

The Concord Historical Commission has released the results of a fresh evaluation of the historical significance of the proposed playing fields site behind Concord-Carlisle High School.  Their conclusion:

After considerable review, we feel that our original assessment of this area -- made in November 2006 when we voted unanimously that this parcel of land was not of highly significant historical value -- is still correct.

The review was conducted in response to claims made by an interest group opposing the fields project, Friends of Thoreau Country.  In a Request for Advisory Opinion from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the groups attorney claimed that building the playing fields would require the "destruction of an historic place of national significance."

The CHC disagreed, stating:

This site is bounded on all sides by modern and intrusive development: Route 2 to the south; Brister’s Hill Road housing to the east; the high school complex---including a bus depot---to the north. It is not accessible to the public, except across school land or private property, and cannot be enjoyed, of a piece, with either the land surrounding Walden Pond or the land, preserved by the Walden Woods Project, on Brister’s Hill.

We have consulted numerous maps and aerial photographs of the area as well numerous accounts of activities on this land. We’ve heard from experts on the history and geology of this area. The maps are, at best, conflicting and the experts disagree and have, over time, revised their opinions as to the location of various historic landscape features within Walden Woods---and particularly those features that may or may not have been on this parcel. The one clearly historic feature of this area, Laurel Glen---

which was officially laid-out as a path in Concord in 1671, was filled in by Route 2 construction; Brister’s Hill Road housing was later actually built in Laurel Glen. Laurel Glen, however, is significantly east of the proposed playing fields and, even if it were still intact, would not be disturbed by this new development. Another ancient path, as we heard from an expert, that may have crossed this land, was similarly excavated by Route 2 construction.

We are fortunate, as a town, to have in our possession a high level of archeological data. Our "map", which identifies over 400 sites, forms the basis of the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s many listings for archeological sites in Concord. This data was confirmed and updated in 1981 by Dr. Shirley Blancke. At that time she indicated which sites were intact, destroyed or disturbed by construction. Our recent review of this map confirms that no archeological sites are listed on the land behind the Concord-Carlisle Regional High School. The closest known site on school property is at the edge of Thoreau Street---quite distant from the proposed playing field site---and is noted as "disturbed."

In a town as steeped in history as Concord is, it is important to be able to make informed judgments as to the relative merits of our historic resources. All our resources are not equally valuable, and forgetting that puts us in jeopardy of diminishing the genuine significance of our truly prized and well-preserved historic places.

For all of the reasons stated above---discrepancies as to the actual location of valued landscape features; disturbance and destruction of historic resources by 20^th century development; fragmentation of this site from the greater Walden Woods landscape; no known archeological sites---it is our judgment that this particular piece of woodland has regrettably, but irrevocably, been significantly compromised of its historic integrity as a part of Walden Woods.

Full text of the Concord Historic Commission's opinion