The 1867 Victorian home that has stood as a silent, deteriorating landmark on a corner of Pleasant Street is days away from disappearing. FM Builders LLC filed a demolition permit on January 27, 2004, seeking to raze the structure at 660 Pleasant St, a property now legally condemned and deemed beyond repair.
This filing signals the end of a 157-year chapter for the neighborhood. The six-bedroom, four-bathroom residence, which spans 5,868 square feet on a 0.687-acre lot, was last updated in 1975 but has since succumbed to severe structural decay. Despite original features like a fireplace, the home's condition deteriorated to the point where sellers were recently required to provide pre-approval letters before even allowing showings, signaling a financial impossibility for restoration.
The permit application, BLD0400063, authorizes the complete removal of the existing single-family home. The site, which transacted for $473,300 in 2004 while already in a state of disrepair, represents a recurring dilemma for the city: when the cost of rehabilitation exceeds the value of the structure, demolition often becomes the only viable path forward. The applicant, FM Builders LLC, has not yet filed plans for a replacement, leaving the future use of the substantial lot uncertain.
While the 19th-century home once served as a staple of the local streetscape, its current status underscores the high cost of preserving historic properties without significant capital investment. This case mirrors a broader trend where neglected assets are cleared rather than saved, altering the physical character of the neighborhood one lot at a time.
Residents concerned about the demolition timeline or the future of the vacant lot can monitor the application's progress through the city's official portal. Real-time updates on permit approvals and inspection schedules are available at https://webapps.framinghamma.gov/permits/inspectionservices.aspx.