[MassHistPres] Old Town Halls

Thu Dec 20 15:39:18 EST 2007

Hello,

I hope the new state code will achieve this as well. Sect. 34 may be fine 
for those buildings which qualify, but not enough do at present.

Marcia

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tristram W Metcalfe 3" <twm33 at verizon.net>
To: "Marcia Starkey" <mdstarkey at crocker.com>; "Tristram W Metcalfe 3" 
<twm33 at verizon.net>; "Betsy Hannula" <betsyhannula at verizon.net>; "Karen C. 
Gray" <kcthreads at earthlink.net>; "Joseph S. Larson" <larson at tei.umass.edu>; 
<masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2007 7:51 PM
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Old Town Halls

> Hi Marcia,
>> Starkey 12/14/07 12:24 PM mdstarkey at crocker.com
>>
>> Hello,
>>
>> Several days ago I heard a preservation consultant state that the problem
>> with reuse is that you almost have to build a new building inside the old
>> one.
>> Altho this a very broad statement
> That does seem an extremely broad statement since its relative to so many
> things that would make it seem less of a daunting concept. The more 
> valuable
> the history and therefore the efforts to renovate toward a "totally
> preserved building", the more it might seem like building inside itself
> trying to save near 100% of the materials relative to a preserved target
> date, while replacing as little as needed.
>
> It is true that most GCs prefer total gut demolition before new renovation
> when not sensitive to history. Saving most while replacing least is a 
> worthy
> goal as you trade new material cost for more labor in a slower process, 
> but
> that wash can mean more preservation. Preserved materials have greater
> aesthetic value and also possibly greater equity value returned.
>
>
>> (and ignores Sect. 34 of the state
>> code for a relatively small number of historic buildings),
> I assume you mean the small list in Appendix H of state code 780CMR of the
> few totally preserved buildings in Mass. Only 77 towns have the 140 total
> 'totally preserved buildings & landmarks' in the current (10yr old) code. 
> I
> would hope that number will be higher in the 7th edition of the code 
> likely
> out by next spring.;-)
>
>> it does raise the
>> question of when we will have an existing building subcode in the
>> Commonwealth.
> I assume you mean more than what we already have in Chapter 34 which is
> REPAIR, ALTERATION, ADDITION AND CHANGE OF USE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS which
> has chapter 3409.0 HISTORIC BUILDINGS in it.
> The nice part of 34 are "compliance alternatives" to the strict letter of
> the code allowing flexibility usually based on excessive cost or inferior
> design utilization, but safety always needs to hold or increase. These
> require the building official's agreement or else it's an appeal to the
> STATE BOARD OF BUILDINGS REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS.
>
> Tris Metcalfe
> Northampton
>
>>
>> Marcia Starkey, Greenfield HC
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Tristram W Metcalfe 3" <twm33 at verizon.net>
>> To: "Betsy Hannula" <betsyhannula at verizon.net>; "Karen C. Gray"
>> <kcthreads at earthlink.net>; "Joseph S. Larson" <larson at tei.umass.edu>;
>> <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
>> Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 10:52 AM
>> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Old Town Halls
>>
>>
>>> "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
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
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>>
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>
> 