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Historic commission approves final changes to rear addition at Manassas Hotel
Summary
The New Shoreham Historic District Commission voted to grant final approval for exterior alterations to the rear addition of the Manassas Hotel at 251 Spring Street.
The New Shoreham Historic District Commission voted to grant final approval for exterior alterations to the rear (south-side) addition of the Manassas Hotel, located at 251 Spring Street.
Commissioners approved a plan to remove a sliding door and install five windows that are detailed to read as faux doors, with trim and decorative features intended to match existing treatments. The commission discussed the proposal as a continuation from an earlier meeting in which designer Michael Abbott presented initial options; the current submission substitutes scalloped shingles with a door-like trim element beneath newly raised windows. The work will be primarily visible from the hotel backyard and some houses on High Street and will not be visible from Spring Street.
The commission treated the matter as a continuation of the prior application and, after confirming details, moved to make the approval final. Bill Cook made the motion to finalize approval; the motion was seconded and adopted by voice vote. The motion language on the record described the applicant as “251 Spring Street LLC, plat 7, lot 27” and enumerated removal of the sliding door and addition of five windows to “replicate, in kind.” The commission noted the altered area is part of a one-story addition built in the 1980s and described the new window treatment as intended to mimic existing features rather than replicate a 19th-century form.
Commission members discussed the town practice that 50 years is the standard often used to judge historic significance; the commission confirmed that guideline remains in effect and noted that later additions sometimes carry forward features from earlier renovations. The record shows the item was handled as a final approval rather than a new preliminary submission.
The commission also asked applicants to provide clearer documentation on future additions so the commission has a better record of alterations going forward.
The commission moved on to other agenda items after the vote.
