Commission Delays Finn House Demolition Decision
The Northampton Historical Commission voted unanimously to continue a demolition-review hearing for the Louise Finn House at Cooley Dickinson Hospital to September 28.
Other Committee · Meeting of August 31, 2026
NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Historical Commission voted unanimously to continue a demolition-review hearing for the Louise Finn House at Cooley Dickinson Hospital to September 28. Jean O'Rourke, daughter of longtime labor and delivery nurse Louise Finn, told the commission "if you were born in Northampton, she probably delivered you," urging preservation of the building named for her mother in 2009. Commission members cited missing structural reports and unresolved cost figures, with one noting project estimates ranging from $1,135,000 to vaguer claims of "millions." The commission also voted unanimously to reconstitute its demolition-delay subcommittee with members Hannah, Douglas and Martha.
Separately, the panel reviewed, without a vote, a Section 106 federal consultation on a roughly 9,000-square-foot lab and radiology renovation at the VA's Leeds campus, finding no adverse effect on the historic building.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,082 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of August 31, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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