A non-profit corporation administered by citizens benefiting Arlington's architectural heritage
The Fund
The Arlington Preservation Fund, Inc. is a non-profit corporation whose
principal purpose is to make low interest loans to
owners of historically significant structures in the
town of Arlington, MA. Through these favorable
loans, the Fund encourages the retention or
restoration of appropriate exterior architectural
details during both residential and commercial
building projects. This revolving fund was
initiated through the Federal Community
Development Block Grant program and is now
administered by a volunteer board of citizens
appointed by the Board of Selectmen.
The Loan
Approved loans are typically for the
repair or restoration, not maintenance, of
items which are most essential to the architectural
character of the building such as
duplication of deteriorated columns, repairing
slate roofs, or replacing synthetic siding with
wood clapboards or shingles. Loans may be for as long as
ten years, but we also give loans on a three-year and
five-year amortizations, with the latter being the most typical.
On occasion, we may approve a large, short-term loan, for example,
where a developer acquires and restores an old house, and then re-sells.
Monthly amortization of principal and interest is based on one-half of
the prime rate at the time of the annual meeting.
Loans of $7,500 or less do not require a
mortgage; however, a preservation restriction is
required on the areas of work for twice the length
of the loan unless the property is located in one
of Arlington's Historic Districts. No attorney's fees,
points, credit report fees, or appraisal fees are
charged, but you are required to pay for recording
fees at the Registry ($210 for mortgage recording. $110 for "all other documents") and a loan processing fee of 1/2 of 1% of
the loan or $50, whichever is more, to defray administrative
expenses.
Eligible Recipients
Primarily, our activities involve buildings in
the Town's Historic Districts, the area cataloged in any
of the Historical Commission's surveys, the National
Register Multiple Resource Listing, or which are
otherwise deemed significant by the Board. Federal
law prohibits us from making loans for buildings
owned by religious organizations.
The Process
At the Fund's meetings, all preliminary
applications are reviewed, and
those that are approved
are forwarded to the Board of Selectmen for review.
After approval, Massachusetts law requires
that a final application be signed and returned to
us prior to closing and issuance of your check.
The overall process is fairly simple and averages
about 2 months' time for completion.
Contact Us
We urge anyone interested
to contact the Fund with
any questions and to
request an application.
The Fund does not
discriminate on the basis of
race, sex, color, creed, ethnic origin, marital status, or age.
We can give limited advice on some aspects of the restoration;
however we do not typically provide architectural design services.
Email
Send Email Inquiries to:
Cloaking
Mail
Send regular mail inquiries to:
Arlington Preservation Fund, Inc.
c/o Town of Arlington
Department of Planning and Community Development
730 Massachusetts Avenue
Arlington, MA 02476