BELCHERTOWN/LEVERETT — Time has wore away at the 74 windows of the Clapp Memorial Library and critical infrastructure at the North Leverett Sawmill, leaving both historic buildings worse for wear.
Despite their condition, the two buildings remain significant spaces for their respective communities, and Mass Cultural Council and MassDevelopment recently recognized their importance by awarding Clapp a $130,000 grant to replace the windows, and the sawmill a $196,000 grant to install a septic system, a well and bathrooms at the historic building.
The Belchertown library at 19 South Main St. and sawmill on North Leverett Road were two of four facilities that received Cultural Facilities Fund grants this round.
“Our cultural spaces are where Massachusetts comes together — to learn, to celebrate, and to be inspired,” Michael J. Bobbitt, executive director of Mass Cultural Council, said in a statement. “Through the Cultural Facilities Fund, we’re helping ensure these beloved places remain safe, welcoming, and vibrant for everyone who walks through their doors.”
The Cultural Facilities Fund has awarded over $181 million to 1,610 cultural facility projects in the state since 2007. The fund aims to elaborate on the commonwealth’s creative economy, increase business and tourism, and stimulate investment in local history and arts.
“We have a very good relationship with the Mass Cultural Council. They’ve funded us twice before,” said Susan Lynton, treasurer and founder of Friends of the North Leverett Sawmill. “I think the Mass Cultural Council is very important for organizations building cultural facilities.”
Belchertown Library Director Cyndi Harbeson said at least a dozen window panes at the library’s upper level are cracked and wrapped in plastic. The original glass and sealing is energy inefficient, so heating the building in winter is challenging and costly. Yet to replace all the windows costs around $400,000.
“Part of the reason the the project is so costly is that they are all original, unique windows so they have to be individually made, not mass produced,” Harbeson said. “There are at least 50 windows that are all different shapes and designs, and we want to make sure that the windows have their historical look.”
Clapp Memorial has applied for a Community Preservation Act grant from the town to cover the remaining cost.
The North Leverett Sawmill, meanwhile, is being turned into an historic museum and community space in a project that is expected to cost $2 million. Lynton said the Friends group has raised a little over $1 million, including grants.
This latest grant specifically funds the design and installation of accessible bathroom for families and a composing septic system. Samuel Black, director of the Friends, said this type of septic system does not require a large mounded leach field that would interfere with the property’s historic character.
“The bathrooms inside the building are there for the eventual public comfort and use, particularly for with ADA-compliant design,” said Black, referring to the Americans with Disabilities Act. “It should make it a better experience with those in place.”
Harbeson too said the new windows will improve the thermal comfort of the community space.
“We are very thankful for the funding from both the state and the community, and we are hopeful we will receive the remaining funding for make the project go forward,” Harbeson said.