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During a March 2 report to the Gov. Stoughton Trust Land Committee, Hall called for the group to reject any plan that would destroy the historic structures to make way for new development.
She said the farm, which dates back to the early 1700s and once housed the poor on a working farm, already fits the standards for national landmarks, according to the last historical survey done in 1999.
“This is a very rare property. It’s a rare opportunity,” she said. “We need to keep all the buildings intact. We strongly request that they be incorporated into the overall plan.”
Hall said federal grants and tax credits often can come along with national landmarks.
Committee Chair Member Bob Sweeney said the option may be a good one. “It’s good we’re looking at this,” he said. “We’re looking at everything.”
Responding to criticism from resident John Hajjar that the committee is pushing for the development of affordable housing, Sweeney called the Historical Commission’s recommendation “a good option for conforming use.”
“The answer is absolutely yes. We have been considering conforming use all along,” he said.
Sweeney added that the committee is starting to finalize a report for the Selectmen, who are trustees of the farm. The draft proposal will first go through a public meeting, probably in May or June, according to Town Planner Bill Clark.
Sweeney urged residents who want to submit an alternate draft to do so, which the committee would review and present to the public.
According to the National Park Service, only about 2,500 locations in the country have the distinction of being called national historic landmarks. Milton has two: Blue Hill Weather Observatory was named in 1989 and Forbes House Museum in 1996.
Other locations in town – including Milton Cemetery, Milton Post Office, Suffolk Resolves House, Blue Hills Parkway, Blue Hills Headquarters, Bent’s Cookie Factory, Brookwood Farm and Belcher-Rowe House – are listed on the National Register of Historical Places.