Last updated on July 30, 2020
Across Boston there are a lot of historic barns, stables, or carriage houses. And the city would like to know about all of them to help inform future neighborhood development projects.
Through the years some have been made into art studios, garages, garden sheds and more. There are ones with beautiful slate roofs, original features dating back decades, and more. There are also ones that are going unused, falling apart and in desperate need of repair.
The project is being spearheaded by the Housing Innovation Lab, in collaboration with the Landmarks Commission, the Department of Neighborhood Development, Boston Planning & Development Agency, and Inspectional Services Department.
To begin the project, the city would like to understand where are the carriage houses primarily, what condition are they in, and what do residents want to do with those spaces. And of course, what are they being used for right now.
The city also wants to understand the dimensions of the carriage houses by seeing photographs of them. To assist residents, the Landmarks Commission created a guide to take high quality photos.
You can provide info about your carriage house with this Carriage House Self Inventory webpage.
You can also learn more about your home’s dimensions and zoning by using this BPDA webpage. While you’re at it, you can find out if your home is in a historic district.
And if you want to have a more in-depth conversation about your carriage house you can email housingilab@boston.gov.