Help is on the way for the town’s 1812 powder house, which since last fall has sat cracked and forlorn, encircled in yellow “caution” tape. When a truck rolled down from the fire station and hit the building, the impact damaged the brick walls to the extent that they cannot be repaired in place, and must be taken down to the foundation and reconstructed. Ken Swanton, chairman of the Historical Commission, reports that the documentation and a restoration plan, at a cost of $2,790, are now complete.
Swanton says that historic preservationist Bill Finch of Finch and Rose has sent the commission “eight pages of text plus 16 pages of annotated photos to give us a graphic historical documentation on how the building was constructed 202 years ago and a detailed game plan to take it apart and put it back together.” The commission’s volunteer clerk of the works, preservationist Robert Adam of Shirley, was present during much of the site visit and assisted Finch in taking measurements and setting up the photographs.
Finch estimates that 95% of the exterior bricks can be saved, and that despite the damage to the walls, the roof frame appears to remain sound. The remaining step before work can begin is for Town Administrator Tim Bragan to complete settlement with the insurance company.
The full report can be viewed at:
http://hhcommission.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/20140306-harvard-powder-house-300.pdf.
