[MassHistPres] Old Town Halls

[Tristram W Metcalfe 3]

"A Never-ending battle" for sure!

In my 36 years or registered architectural practice 99% of the claimed "too
far gone to reuse" statements were mostly just sad ignorance most often
actually motivated by those who wanted the land underneath and then
ignorance allowed the disinformation to prevail.

Bruce Becker an architect & developer in CT, lectures that condition means
almost nothing in overall reuse economics, it's use demand and location that
save and reuse old buildings. He really wanted to reuse Old Main our State
Hospital in Northampton, but said if the local government wouldn't invite
him to step in to reuse it he would be wasting his time fighting for its
valuable location. 

In Plainfield, Mass we have a matched pair of Church and Town hall built
prior to separation of church and state which should put them in the 18th
century. They have simple elegant Greek revival detailing. Both have had
small accessibility additions and improvements inside and out including
lifting up the town hall and building a 90% new foundation, all at modest
expense and much with access grant help only to town hall even though the
Church still sits on town land. They gave it better kitchen, bathrooms,
entry, 2nd floor lift and exterior stone walks, walls & rails etc.


Tristram W. Metcalfe III, AIA  NCARB  NY MA CT
142  Main St. Northampton, Mass 01060
Ph 413.586.5775 Fx 586.2577
Mobile 413.695.8200
twm3 at rcn.com
metaphors
be with
You
!
 


> Betsy Hannula12/13/07 8:22 PMbetsyhannula at verizon.net

> Westminster's town hall was built in 1839.  Since a new town hall was built
> and occupied last spring, the old one is in serious danger of being destroyed
> because we've been told it's too expensive to repair the third floor in order
> to restore and reuse.   A never-ending battle.
>   
> 
> "Karen C. Gray" <kcthreads at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Stow 1848
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joseph S. Larson"
> To: 
> Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:51 PM
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Old Town Halls
> 
>