Redevelopment Regrets

John Lagoulis turns in another Saturday gem in today's Daily News. But as much as enjoyed the historical perspective I found his personal insight on the demolition of Unicorn Street to be most compelling.

The bathhouse on Unicorn Street was torn down in 1968. In my opinion, it should have never been demolished. It is a piece of history that will never return. It is something that can never be repeated. I liken it to the Jacob Perkins historical mint/printing mill on Fruit Street, which has been restored.

The City of Newburyport replaced the bathhouse on Unicorn Street with a parking lot and a new view of the river. It was sacrificed for a parking lot and no one stepped forward to save it. This historical building slipped through our fingers so to speak.

When I saw that the Unicorn Street bathhouse had been torn down, it affected me deeply. These bathhouses dated back to George Washington's days. They were built of brick and were strong and well constructed. If they could talk, they would have told us many interesting stories. The city's bathhouses were a historical link to our past, and I believe they were possibly the only ones left in America.

I believe many human errors and rather quick and hasty decisions were made by the then redevelopment groups of this city in tearing down the bathhouse. Sadly, during the redevelopment days, it seems many individuals did not bother to take time to foresee the historical value of the bathhouses, among other things in those days, and work to preserve them.

The total, physical demolishment of bathhouses, combined with what appears to be an erasure of the bathhouses (and other properties of historical value) from local literature, should never have occurred. Wouldn't you agree?

It's an opinion not often heard in these parts. Our beautiful downtown came at a price - too high a price - for many who watched it happen.