Sanborn House to Welcome All

by Nancy Schrock

A top priority of the Historical Society is to make the Sanborn House Historical & Cultural Center accessible to everyone in our community. This presents a challenge since the building was constructed 100 years ago for a private family. Thanks to the Griffin Foundation, the Town of Winchester, and donations from our members, this is about to change.

Griffin Foundation Awards Grant
The Griffin Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant to the Winchester Historical Society in December, to design a front entrance that respects the historical integrity of the National Register Building while meeting the requirements of the Americans for Disability Act (ADA). The Society hired Karle Packard of Red Hawk Studio to design an entrance and walkway with appropriate lighting and signage.

Working with David Stirling, head of the Building Committee, Karle has come up with an attractive and functional design. This design eliminates thresholds at the doorway, includes a new door that replicates the original double doors, and provides landscaping with symmetric walkways that will be wheelchair accessible without intrusive ramps and rails. Our next Black Horse Bulletin will feature drawings of the final plans, which will need to be reviewed by the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the Commonwealth’s Architectural Access Board. Construction will require additional funding from grants and private donations.

Plans for ADA Bathroom and Parking
With funds recommended by the Town’s Disability and Access Committee, the Town has hired Red Hawk Studio to prepare plans to make the first floor of the Sanborn House handicapped accessible. These include handicapped parking, a new ADA-compliant bathroom, and changes to the side entrance. The plans for the bathroom are ready for review by the Town and State as a variance will be needed to adapt the space available. All groups are working together to make this happen.

The combination of private and public funding, along with many hours of volunteer work, continues to move the Sanborn House forward. There are groups who have been unable to rent or visit because of the lack of handicapped access. The society expects to resolve this situation soon. (February 2010)

Winchester Historical Society Appoints Executive Director

Major Step in Transformation of Sanborn House into a Public Institution
The Winchester Historical Society has appointed Rebekah Beaulieu as its new Executive Director, effective immediately. Ms. Beaulieu will also manage the Sanborn House Historical and Cultural Center, located at 15 High Street in Winchester, which now is open to the public on a regular basis.

Bob Colt, President of the Winchester Historical Society said, “Rebekah was the unanimous choice from a very strong field of applicants and possesses the combination of an impressive academic background and some analogous fund-raising experience which make her a great fit for the Winchester community and the development of the Sanborn House as a true historical and cultural center. The future is bright with such a talented, energetic and dedicated individual working for the good of Winchester in developing this grand house.”

Ms. Beaulieu’s arrival marks a new period in the life of the Sanborn House. A stunning example of Beaux-Arts architecture, the Sanborn House was originally built in 1907 and since 2006 the Town of Winchester has given the stewardship to the Winchester Historical Society, an organization dedicated to sharing Winchester’s rich history with its community. The Society has worked tirelessly to restore the building to its original beauty, currently planning an extensive capital campaign and recently earning a permanent preservation restriction for the site at this past fall’s Town Meeting.

An academic as well as a professional, Ms. Beaulieu is a doctoral candidate in American and New England Studies at Boston University. She has significant experience in fund-raising for non-profit organizations, most notably the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago and the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago. Ms. Beaulieu received a graduate degree in Arts Administration from Columbia University.

The Sanborn House Historical and Cultural Center is now open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment. To learn more about the Winchester Historical Society and the Sanborn House, please call 781-721-0135.

Preservation Restriction Approved

by Ellen Knight

In November, Town Meeting approved a permanent preservation restriction for the Sanborn House, a tool to improve the Society’s chances of getting grants to help with the Sanborn’s restoration.

In 2006, when the Society signed a lease with the town to restore and manage the Sanborn House as an historical and cultural center for the community, the town conveyed a five-year preservation restriction to the Massachusetts Historical Society. Seeing the expiration date approaching, the Society requested that the restriction become permanent.

“Restoring and maintaining the house requires significant resources,” Nancy Schrock told Town Meeting. The Society has taken in about $275,000 over the past three years and, with the added contribution of labor and materials, has made substantial improvements inside and out. The Society needs an additional $1.2 million to continue the restoration work. Although the Society secured an allocation of $125,000 in State funds, that funding was later lost to State cutbacks.

State and federal agency grants and private foundations are potential sources for funding, Schrock said, but “competition is intense.” Illustrating her point by reference to specific grant-awarding groups and their criteria, she said a permanent preservation restriction significantly increases the chances of getting grants, as does a record of community support.

Selectman Tom Howley said that the Board of Selectmen recommended approval. Peter Cheimets reported that the Finance Committee was in favor. (The School Committee also voted its support at its own meeting.) Following a few questions, Town Meeting passed the motion with a nearly unanimous vote.