Sandra Kelly: A sad day for the town of Moultonborough

To The Daily Sun,

William Morris (1834-1896) was a revolutionary force in Victorian Britain. His work as a designer, craftsperson, writer, and social activist dramatically changed fashions and ideologies of the era. He said, "These old buildings do not belong to us only, they belong to our forefathers and they will belong to our descendants unless we do them false . . . They are not in any sense our property to do as we like with them. We are only trustees for those that come after us."

The Moultonborough Board of Selectmen abdicated their responsibility on Thursday, July 1, to preserve the iconic French-Taylor House by a majority vote to demolish this structurally sound, but cosmetically neglected landmark property. This is a sad day for all the planning programs of past years that have encouraged rehabilitation and reuse of historic properties. In a Village Vision survey, 84 percent of respondents voted and voiced their desire to preserve historic buildings. Their voices have been soundly ignored and a vocal few have had their way.

This day will go down in history and, sadly, the loss sustained in integrity will linger.

Sandra M. Kelly

Moultonborough