[MassHistPres] Endangered early 20th century schoolhouse

[Elizabeth Ware]

Hi Richard,

The Town of Dracut put out a RFP for conversion of a 4-room 1905 schoolhouse (with about 7,000 square feet) to conversion of affordable housing.  The project was just funded by the State’s Community Scale Housing program with CPA and other funds added to the mix.  It will be converted to nine affordable housing units, with preference to veterans.  I should note that this building was really built initially and received  little to no maintenance  in the thirty years it ceased to be a school.  This was one of my first projects when I arrived in Dracut four years ago and I was told by many to just get a bulldozer!  It is a very solidly built building and, in fact, has its original chalk boards!

My nephew is buying his first “house” in a converted high school in Medford.  Formerly Medford High School, the property is a very large brick building, with underground parking.  It was converted in the 1980s and contains about 130 units.

It can be done!

Betsy Ware

Director of Community Development
Town of Dracut, Ma.
Telephone: 978-453-4557

From: MassHistPres [mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Richard McGrath
Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2019 5:00 PM
To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: [MassHistPres] Endangered early 20th century schoolhouse

Dear members. The town of Lunenburg vacated the early 20th century, brick schoolhouse about 10 years ago or so. No maintenance has been done on it since. It is suffering demolition by neglect
but is still a solid structure. There is a movement in town to tear it down at a cost of over $500,000.and to make a park on the property. The building is in the Architectural Preservation District. We are lookling for what other towns have done with such buildings so that we may present to the town strong alternatives to demolition...............................

With modern building codes, is renovating such buildings economically feasible? I have seen many of these buildings restored and reused in different communities in the 1980's but things have changed since then with stricter codes and Lunenburg is a green town. Any advice or experience would be appreciated.

Richard McGrath, chairman Lunenburg APDC
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