On July 1, new state building codes for energy conservation in residential and commercial buildings will take effect. Along with my fellow architects, trade professionals, and building officials, I’m preparing […]
Author Archives: Bill Fornaciari - Independent Correspondent
Posted inHistory & Architecture
The Plymouth Fragment Society has been giving back to the town for two centuries
It’s that time of the year when charity golf tournaments are sprouting like dandelions. They are an excellent way to raise money for selected causes and charities . . . […]
Posted inHistory & Architecture
Do you know where Plymouth’s Tweenit section is?
A few years after my graduation from college in 1986, the Massachusetts economy sputtered and died. I decided to follow in the steps of my grandparents and seek my future […]
Posted inHistory & Architecture
Town Meeting has had an agenda for a long time
Plymouth Town Meeting commences Saturday, April 6, at 8 a.m., at Plymouth North High School. At the meeting, 162 representative members from our town’s 18 voting precincts will gather to […]
Posted inHistory & Architecture
Taking stock of a rare roof in Plymouth
With the current effort to draw attention to one of Plymouth’s overlooked Revolutionary heroes – Mercy Otis Warren – perhaps it’s also time to highlight the home she and her […]
Posted inHistory & Architecture
A local fish tale about a man with a vision and a rooftop boat
If you’re a long-time resident of Plymouth, you almost certainly remember Mayflower Seafoods on the Plymouth waterfront. For me the restaurant evokes both fond memories of a now deceased business […]
Posted inHistory & Architecture
The lowdown on why Plymouth doesn’t have tall buildings
Plymouth is not known for tall buildings, but there are several notable exceptions. The zoning bylaw limits the height of a building to 35 feet in most areas of the […]
Posted inCulture
Plymouth is full of historical artifacts. But where to store them?
Dostadning. It’s a mashed up Swedish word combining death and cleaning. It was derived by Swedish author Margareta Magnusson who wrote the book “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” […]
Posted inHistory & Architecture
Hospital’s Brutalist wing is now just brutal
My editor recently suggested I do a column about ugly architecture in Plymouth. Not an easy task, as architecture can be so subjective. Buildings loved by some may be despised […]
Posted inHistory & Architecture
All aboard: There was a time when Plymouth had three train stations
There’s a piece of Plymouth history that has forever frustrated me. That’s why I’m seeking assistance from readers of the Plymouth Independent. You have reached out to me for additional […]