The city of Beverly Massachusetts prides itself in being the Birthplace of the American Navy and home to Washington's fleet. The few remaining first period homes and structures in the city help to tell the early history of this area. Now, one of the last remaining structures built during this time, the Nehemiah Wood house, is threatened by demolition to make way for a new drive-through Walgreen's.

The Salem News reports: "The wood-frame house was built by a shoemaker named Nehemiah Wood between 1715 and 1725 and was later owned by Nathaniel Greenwood, an officer in the Boston Regiment. The building was a grocery store in the early 1900s. It was bought by Johnny Appleseed's in 1947 and became the clothing company's headquarters" (Paul Leighton, Salem Evening News, 28 December 2011).

The Beverly Historic District Commission voted last year to impose a one year demolition, not only destroying one of the oldest structures in the city but also altering the historic layout of the street-scape with another big box store.

Please sign this petition if you believe that Landers Symes and his partners should reconsider the demolition of this historically significant building. Symes and partners should consider all option besides demolition to use the building in an economically viable way.

Once this history is gone, it can never be replaced.

Thank you,

-Alexandra Skerry
M.S. Historic Preservation Candidate
Concerned Citizen of Beverly, MA