Former site of the Pillar House Restaurant (Newton, Massachusetts)

 restaurant, architecture - Do not use this category, interesting place, historical layer / disappeared object

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www.pillarhouse.com/abt_history.html
whatever happened to it?
www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2002/04/29/newscolum...
What's next for Pillar House?
The Massachusetts Highway Department is receiving bids for the removal of the 180-year-old historic building that formerly was home to the Pillar House restaurant in Newton.

According to a legal notice that appeared last week in a local daily newspaper, the successful bidder would be responsible for purchasing, removing and preserving the historic portions of the Greek-revival building. A list of what are considered to be the historic portions of the building were to be provided to bidders at an open house this week.

The 2,500-square-foot Pillar House, with its four Ionic columns, was designed by architect Allen Crocker Curtis. Owner Tom Larsen operated the Pillar House restaurant for 49 years before closing the landmark last June.

Larsen planned to sell the 2.5-acre property to a developer who wanted to move the Pillar House and develop an office building at the site. The Mass. Highway Department, however, said the site was a traffic hazard and it would take the property by eminent domain and convert it to open space. Bidders for the Pillar House must ascertain whether state and local authorities will grant permits for the move from the building's location at the intersection of routes 128 and 16.

Bids are due May 28. (2002)