GOSHEN — Voters will be asked to appropriate $400,000 in Community Preservation Act funds toward the second phase of the historic Town Hall rehabilitation project at a special Town Meeting March 13.
Also known as John James Memorial Hall, the building has served as the focus of town life since it was completed and opened on July 4, 1911, according to information supplied by Town Administrator Dawn Scaparotti. It houses the public library, contains the town vault, serves as the office for the Board of Assessors, and is the primary site for all town meetings and public gatherings as well as being the polling site for all elections. The Town Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places, and also has a preservation restriction on it.
The first phase of repairs was undertaken in 2016 after the town received a grant of emergency funds from the Massachusetts Historical Commission. That work included replacing the original slate roof to stop leaks, repointing two stone parapets at the gable ends, repairing the cement plaster at the front portico, including eight columns, and rebuilding two side entries.
Work proposed for the second phase of rehabilitation includes reglazing and repairing the original windows, replacing three south portico doors, repointing of the stonework facade and fixing leaks in the flat roof on the building extension.
“The primary focus of Phase II is to seal the exterior envelope, including the windows, to protect against water damage,” Scaparotti stated.
There are 23 double-hung windows in the Town Hall building, all with multiple panes, all of them needing repair, she said. All work must comply with state standards for the treatment of historic properties.
The three exterior doors need to be replaced, consistent with the historic nature of the building, along with an interior door to the attic that needs to be repaired or replaced.
Additionally, work is needed on the elevator tower and the interior wall of the stairwell.
Two engineering studies have shown that the foundation of the building is solid, Scaparotti stated, and there is no visible indication of cracking in the stonework or settling in any of the four exterior masonry.
Architects will develop detailed plans and costs for the project and will create construction bid documents.
“We received several very strong applications in an architect search,” Scaparotti said.
The Select Board has chosen the firm of Clark & Green of Great Barrington.
The preliminary cost estimate for the project is $500,000. The town is applying for a $100,000 grant, again from the Massachusetts Historical Commission, while the Community Preservation Commission has approved the use of $400,000 in CPA funds — $129,875 from the historic resource reserve, and $270,125 from the undesignated fund balance.
One other article — a transfer of approximately $530 from free cash — will be considered at the Town Meeting, which begins at 7 p.m.