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.

Internet at the Sanborn

The Sanborn House, including the Society office, joined the 21st century of communications recently with the installation of Internet and wireless service to the facility. The Society is now able to send emails from its member database having also upgraded its PastPerfect software, a program for non-profits and museums.

Please select on your 2009-2010 member renewal form your choice of how you would like to receive Society event notices. Would you want to receive event mailings via email only, email and print both, or print only? Be sure to add your email address. This also will allow the Society to update members of any last minute event time or location changes.

Comcast generously donated the installation work for the cable into the Sanborn House. This puts the House on the Internet and allows the Society to offer wireless capability to users of the House as well as for members working in the House. This is especially helpful for the Society office and for the Collections documentation efforts.

You may change your choice for receiving event notices at any time by sending an email to us.

Sanborn House Goes Green!

by David Stirling

The Sanborn House Historical and Cultural Center now has an advanced state of the art roof insulation system and air barrier in addition to the brand ply membrane applied over two thirds of the building roof last fall. Open-cell spray foam insulation has been installed in the dropped ceiling areas directly below the new roof system. The insulation materials were generously donated to the Winchester Historical Society by the product manufacturer, Icynene Inc. (Mississauga, ON.) The Society would like to thank the manufacturer’s representative Jack Sheehan for his help in obtaining this donation. Healthy Homes of Melrose, MA was hired by the Society to apply the spray foam insulation.

One of the great advantages of the Icynene material is that it not only provides a high value of thermal insulation, it also provides an air-seal or air-barrier, effectively minimizing air leakage. This delivers significant moisture control and improved air quality. Before products like this were available, air leakage during the heating season carried warm heated air and moisture from the building, typically resulting in half of the building’s energy loss. The air removed is replaced by infiltration of the unheated air through gaps in the structure. Infiltration also brings outdoor allergens, odors and pollutants into the building. In hot weather with air conditioning systems, air barriers produce similar savings in operating costs. Icynene is 100% water-blown, with no hydrofluorocarbons that can off-gas into the indoor environment. Water, being a non-ozone depleting substance, does not contribute to global warming. Icynene is classified as a green product, which helps buildings qualify for Green Building programs such as LEED and NGBS (National Green Building Standard).

The Winchester Historical Society will continue to implement important and critically needed improvements to the historic Sanborn House. Future priorities include an energy and mechanical systems study, replacement of the current oil fired boiler with gas fired equipment, upgrades to the catering and kitchen facility, facade improvements and a new accessible entrance. If you can help with any of these projects, please contact the Society at 781-721-0135. Volunteers with expertise in any of these priority areas would be welcome.