> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://pembrokecitizenjournal.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Historical Commission Approves Demolition of the John Turner House - URL: https://pembrokecitizenjournal.com/town-hall/historical-commission-approves-demolition-of-the-john-turner-house/ - Published: 2026-10-16T22:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-17T02:37:05.000Z - Description: The town-owned house at 369 Washington St. was to be relocated for the public safety building project until move preparations exposed deterioration that town officials said made it unsafe to move. - Author: Bob Kenney - Tags: Town Hall Pembroke’s Historic District/Historical Commission voted to approve demolition of the John Turner House and to expedite the process after Town Manager Bill Chenard reported that extensive deterioration had made the historic structure unsafe to move. The decision followed a special public hearing on October 14th, marked by concerns about safety, construction costs and the loss of a longstanding piece of Pembroke’s history. In a 5:1 vote, the commission approved demolition and proceeding without delay in separate votes, with member Judy Parks opposing both actions. The town-owned house at 369 Washington St. dates to 1805, according to assessor’s records cited during the hearing. Plans for the public safety building project had called for relocating the house elsewhere on the same property. A new foundation and a roadway for the move had already been constructed. Chenard said the house’s current location interferes with the public safety building’s entrance, drainage infrastructure and parking. Leaving it in place would require substantial redesign and could delay remaining site work until spring, increasing costs. According to the presentation, general contractor W.T. Rich contacted four building-moving companies. Three declined the work. The fourth proceeded with planning and required preparations that included securing window and door openings, removing the chimney and exposing portions of the framing beneath the siding. Chenard stated that work revealed severe deterioration in supporting timbers and wall framing. He told the commission that the building inspector, the Fire Department and project team determined the structure could not safely be entered or moved. Those conclusions drew questions from commission members and preservation advocates, particularly about why the extent of the damage had not been identified before money was spent preparing for relocation. Parks questioned whether the commission had received the appropriate demolition application materials and whether the process adequately respected the earlier Town Meeting decision to fund the move. She also expressed concern that people familiar with previous preservation work had not been consulted sooner. Preservation carpenter Jim Bennett, who identified himself as a former longtime commission member and the owner of the business that worked on the house in 2019, urged the commission to seek an independent assessment before authorizing demolition. Bennett described substantial roof and framing repairs performed during that work. He questioned how the building could have deteriorated so significantly since then and said temporary bracing and structural repairs are common when preparing older buildings for relocation. He asked the commission to impose a demolition delay so another engineer or preservation specialist could examine the structure and review what would be required to move it. Chenard responded that the concealed damage became apparent only after siding was removed during preparations requested by the fourth moving company. Commission members who supported demolition said the safety findings and potential cost of further delays justified proceeding with the demolition. A written statement from absent longtime commission former member Laura DeYoung supported demolition with reluctance, while urging the town to preserve the house’s history through documentation, salvage where feasible and public commemoration. That theme became a central part of the commission’s discussion after the votes. Commission Chair Chris Perry and other members requested professional photographs and considered video or drone documentation that could record the building without requiring anyone to enter unsafe areas. Possible ways to commemorate the house included incorporating salvaged materials into displays at the new public safety building or creating a memorial on the property. Chenard cautioned that structural instability and asbestos-containing materials could limit salvage opportunities. No final commemorative plan was adopted during the hearing. The discussion also brought calls for a more active approach to protecting Pembroke’s remaining historic buildings. Commission members urged better documentation, maintenance and coordination so other properties do not reach a similar condition. Although the commission authorized demolition to proceed without delay, no demolition date was announced at the hearing.