V. Shepherd Brooks Manor

Transcription

1 V. Shepherd Brooks Manor Shepherd Brooks Manor - Restoration and Re-Use Overview Manor History and Architecture Manor Exterior Elevation Description Manor Integration Into the Landscape Manor Interior Manor Changes Made in 1900 Manor Alterations Since World War II Manor Changes since 1998 (creation of M-BELT) Shepherd Brooks Manor Proposed Use Shepherd Brooks Manor - Future Restoration Summary Shepherd Brooks Manor - Construction Projects Shepherd Brooks Manor - Future Restoration Summary Appendix Shepherd Brooks Manor Peabody & Stearns Drawings Hamlet Peabody & Stearns Drawings Shepherd Brooks Manor - Highlights Shepherd Brooks Manor - Timeline A Tour of the Shepherd Brooks Manor Shepherd Brooks Manor - Existing Conditions 2010 Manor Restoration - Page 1

2 Shepherd Brooks Manor - Restoration and Re-Use Overview The Shepherd Brooks Manor is the finest work of Victorian architecture in Medford. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975, the Manor is a 20-room Queen Anne masterpiece designed by renowned Boston architects Peabody & Stearns. Built in 1880, the Manor was used as a working farm and summer home for the Brooks family for the next six decades, until the Estate was sold to the City of Medford in Subsequently, the Manor was used as an apartment building for returning World War II Veterans, a city nursing home, a group home for physically challenged adults, and caretakers to the present day. Through all of these different uses, the Manor interior and exterior have remained remarkably intact. The few inappropriate changes made since World War II are clearly visible and relatively easy to remove or remedy. This process has been underway since the 1998 passage of the Conservation and Preservation Restriction. The Preservation Restriction required that all changes made to the Manor exterior be approved in advance by the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Since 1998, the Manor has undergone approximately $1 million in restoration and infrastructure investment, including a restored slate and copper roof, five restored chimneys, restored windows, new oil tanks and boiler, two new toilets and the recently-completed two-story west porch restoration. The Manor is approximately 65% restored as of A complete list of past and future Manor projects is included at the end of this section. The adaptive reuse plan for the Manor is intricately tied to the plans for the adjacent Carriage House, which will be restored as a multi-purpose function facility and economic engine of the Brooks Estate. The Shepherd Brooks Manor, while an important historic architectural landmark, has less financial capacity than the Carriage House, which can be rented for a variety of functions, including a medium-sized, person sit-down wedding, or any of a dozen other potential social and community uses. Despite its size and quality, the Manor's many rooms are relatively small and not conducive to larger functions. The Manor would serve to support the Carriage House functions, particularly weddings and large-scale meetings and also provide Medford with much needed small meeting space at its historic first floor Parlor, Library and Dining Room. There is a significant shortage of meeting space in Medford and we anticipate opening up the Manor to various nonprofits for free or at minimal cost. The first floor core rooms would also be used to tell the history of the Brooks family and Estate. The Manor second floor would be used for a variety of uses. Two bedrooms would serve as preparation rooms for weddings or other private events. The remainder of the floor would house an office for the function facility business and Brooks Estate archives. The Manor third floor would be entirely restored as a full apartment for the caretaker/curator of the Manor. Unlike the Carriage house, the Manor can continue to be restored in phases. The exterior will continue to be restored until it achieves its original Victorian splendor. There are approximately $500,000 in future restorations and infrastructure to be completed at the Manor as funding and timing allows. Most of them can be spread out over several years, as the Carriage House function facility begins to generate sufficient funds. Manor Restoration - Page 2

3 Manor History and Architecture Shepherd Brooks commissioned the Boston architectural firm of Peabody & Stearns to design his summer home at the Brooks Estate in The Manor and Carriage House were built at a cost of $39,361 (about $1.8 million in 2010 dollars) by the Worcester contractor Norcross Brothers, who built many of H.H. Richardson's projects. Peabody & Stearns was one of the most prolific architecture firms in New England, producing more than one thousand commissions nationwide over its forty-five year existence, including local landmarks such as the Custom House Tower in Boston, the Hemenway Gymnasium at Harvard, and hundreds of private residences, including the original Breakers in Newport. Robert Peabody graduated from Harvard in 1886 and later studied architecture at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris; his partner, John Stearns' role in the firm was more of the executor of Peabody's designs. After a trip to England in 1876 where he was exposed to and developed a fondness for the Queen Anne and Georgian styles of architecture, Peabody published a paper in the magazine American Architect and Building News promoting an American interpretation of the Queen Anne style. Queen Anne, a loosely defined style that combined elements of classical architecture with an eclectic interpretation of previous Victorian styles, fit perfectly with Peabody s own eclectic design philosophy. Shepherd Brooks interest in architecture and landscape design undoubtedly guided the siting and design of the buildings on his Estate photo of Shepherd Brooks Manor, from the Massachusetts Historical Society collection. Manor Restoration - Page 3

4 The results can be seen on the exterior of the Shepherd Brooks Manor: red brick masonry construction with a series of steeply gabled and hipped red slate roofs, punctuated by a variety of dormers and articulated chimneys, all capped by a richly detailed widow s walk. The copper and brownstone trim, decorative terra cotta panels, along with a random ashlar granite foundation create a rich palette of materials, also a feature of Queen Anne architecture. The net effect is a complex series of forms, a rich skyline profile, an asymmetric composition that is united by a consistent language of materials and detailing. Another important element in the design of the Shepherd Brooks Manor was one of scale. Peabody admired the English country homes he studied while working and traveling in England. In particular, he admired that no matter how large the house, they always managed to maintain their domestic, human scale that gave them their timeless, charming character. To Peabody, this issue of scale was even more important than the building style*. While the Manor is a large building - twenty major rooms on three floors comprising 9,000 square feet of living space - the building does not feel massive; on the contrary, its interlocking shapes and intricate forms make it feel much more cozy - like a summer home should feel. *Information taken from Peabody & Stearns: Country Houses & Seaside Cottages by Annie Robinson, Published 2010 by Oxford University Press. Manor Exterior Elevations Description East elevation (formal front) Manor Restoration - Page 4

5 The Manor east elevation is dominated by a three-story projecting bay/tower with a gabled roof and attached porte-cochere, originally a delicately-proportioned, one-story, 3-sided gable with an elliptically arched entry. This porte-cochere roof was awkwardly replaced in 1900 with a second floor servant bedroom, dramatically changing the proportions of the Manor front elevation. The core of the Manor is a square, two-story hipped-roof structure with a series of projecting bays, outdoor roofed spaces, dormers and tall, ribbed chimneys all interlocking to create a rich and complicated whole. The main material is red brick, with segmented brick arches above the green painted wood windows and functioning shutters. Brownstone sills and details accent the brick, including a scrolled buttress at the first floor porte-cochere and ionic capitals supporting the main tower gable. The foundation is a random ashlar granite and the roof is a red slate with copper gutters and downspouts, topped by a detailed balustraded widow's walk. There are over seventy windows in the Manor of at least a dozen different sizes and styles photo of the Shepherd Brooks Manor after complete roof and window restoration. On the north end of the elevation, a two-story gabled servant wing is set back from the front of the Manor, with two servant entrances flanking a full-height chimney that includes ribbed articulation, corbelled brick and an 1880 dated brownstone set into the chimney base. The servant entry at the extreme north end of the Manor is a one-story balustered porch, set into the corner at a 45-degree angle facing the Carriage House. Manor Restoration - Page 5

6 Details of the Shepherd Brooks Manor South elevation facing Brooks Pond The transition to the Manor south elevation starts with a one-story corner projecting bay that faces directly down the Access Drive, allowing Parlor occupants a clear view of approaching carriages. The south elevation is organized around a one-story elliptically-shaped verandah that is centered on the elevation overlooking the ponds, with paired double windows above and two dormers on the third floor. Under the verandah are a pair of doors to the Parlor and Library and a series of decorative terra cotta panels set into the red brick walls. A large curved wooden cornice tops and unifies the elevation, accented at the thin brick pilasters which define the corners of the Manor. Manor Restoration - Page 6

7 Shepherd Brooks Manor, photo of west porch on west elevation. The major feature of the west elevation is the ornately detailed two-story west porch, which creates an outdoor room on each level. The porch first floor is framed by brick piers, infilled with detailed wood railings and a staircase that spills onto the lawn overlooking Brooks Pond. At the second floor, even more intricately detailed wood handrails are framed by wooden bases supporting thin wood columns, all topped by carved wood scrolls supporting an arched copper-clad roof above that covers a portion of the second floor porch. A large detailed wooden bracket projects off the Manor wall, and although it appears to be supporting the roof, its true function is cosmetic. The west porch is by far the most intricately detailed area of the Manor. The rest of the west elevation is similar in materials and fenestration as the rest of the Manor with the exception that the change in grade along this edge exposes the basement of the Manor and the random ashlar granite foundations, framing a series of windows and doors into the basement service area. A pair of hipped dormers and a large double-window dormer at the third floor round out the elevation. Manor Restoration - Page 7

8 Shepherd Brooks Manor, photograph from northwest. The north elevation of the Manor is the least "composed" elevation, primarily because it housed the kitchen and servants' wing, and was never intended to be formally viewed from any distance. Facing the Carriage House, the north wing is set back from the main Manor volume at both the east and west elevations, is a floor lower than the rest of the Manor, and erodes through a series of gables and cascading roof forms. The north elevation is clearly the least detailed and visible compared to the other three elevations, all of which created a public face and feature exterior roofed spaces connecting the public spaces of the Manor with the surrounding landscape. In contrast, the north end of the Manor was the servants' wing and functional/support areas of the building, which is reflected in its simpler detailing. Manor Restoration - Page 8

9 Manor Integration Into The Landscape The Manor house is perfectly integrated into its surroundings, growing out of a plateau at Acorn Hill overlooking the soon-to-be-built ( ) Brooks Pond. The Manor was sited to take advantage of a series of vistas to the Pond to the south, to Point of Rocks to the west and at several points to the country road that provided access to the buildings. The entry sequence from Grove Street to the Manor is an exemplary example of integrated architecture and landscape design as different elements of the Manor are revealed in several glimpses along the left side of the road alternating with the pond vistas on the right as one approached the Manor. The unveiling of the Manor and Carriage House at the end of the drive capped a carefully designed sequence that dramatically highlighted the major features of the Estate. Access Drive looking east with Shepherd Brooks Manor in center photo. Manor Restoration - Page 9

10 View of Shepherd Brooks Manor from the south, across Brooks Pond. The Access Drive to the Manor can be seen in the center of the photo between the water line and the Manor. View of Shepherd Brooks Manor from the southwest, across Brooks Pond. The relationship between the architecture and landscape represents a clear, unified vision. Manor Restoration - Page 10

11 While the house had a traditional porte-cochere front door (dramatically altered in 1900 by an inelegant addition, also by Peabody & Stearns), the Manor really has three separate and distinct faces, each its own composition reflecting its context: the east elevation with its brick tower and porte-cochere; the south elevation dominating the view over the ponds and the verandah; and the west elevation, anchored by the two-story west porch which had views both of the ponds and across the Estate to Point of Rocks. The landscape and architectural design of Shepherd Brooks house and grounds represent a single vision for the Estate. Diagram showing the relationship of the Shepherd Brooks Manor to the surrounding landscape. Each elevation of the Manor was designed to take advantage of the very different spaces or vistas open to it. While the Manor does have a "front", the intention of the building design was that it created a composed elevation on three separate sides - the east (formal front elevation), the south (overlooking the ponds) and the west (overlooking the ponds, Access Drive and with a clear vista to Point of Rocks). There is also a clear line in the building separating the public areas from the private support wing. Diagram by D. Carr. Manor Restoration - Page 11

12 Manor Interior The interior of the Manor likewise reflects its integration with nature: the main Parlor and Library spill out onto the verandah which in turn overlooks the Ponds, creating a continuous layering and flow of public spaces along the south side of the Manor, tying together the interior and exterior spaces. The ten feet wide central hall runs the length of the Manor, connecting the main public entrance at the east porte-cochere with the west porch at the opposite end, which spills out to the yard in the direction of Brooks Pond. First floor plan from 1880 drawings by Peabody & Stearns. The original linen plan and elevation drawings for the Shepherd Brooks Manor are located in the Boston Public Library Fine Arts Department. Accessed off the main hall are the four major public spaces of the first floor: the Parlor, Library, Dining Room and Office, each of which is served by a unique and ornately carved fireplace enclosure. Another key design feature of the Manor interior is the restrained and elegant use of natural woods throughout a different species of wood in each of the main rooms: pine in the Parlor, ash in the Library and Office, butternut in the entry hall and stairs and a deep cherry wood in the Dining Room. This approach undoubtedly can be attributed to the design philosophy of Manor Restoration - Page 12

13 Shepherd Brooks, whose love of nature and the Estate is reflected everywhere in the building that bears his name. Shepherd Brooks Manor Library, Photo from the Massachusetts Historical Society. The remainder of the first floor is comprised of the service wing of the Manor and includes the main kitchen, china closet, pantry, storage rooms and service stairs. This part of the Manor would have never been seen by most of the family or any guests; this is where the servants completed their tasks, doing the cooking, cleaning, laundry and other chores that supported the Brooks family. The second floor is organized in a similar fashion to the first floor: four bedrooms are grouped around the main hall with matching bedrooms for Shepherd and Clara Gardner overlooking Brooks Pond above the Library and Parlor, respectively, with a common bathroom in between. Across the hall are located a pair of large bedrooms for the Brooks three children, Helen, Rachel and Gorham. Each of the four bedrooms had a large fireplace similar in scale to the first floor fireplaces, although with less detail than the exquisitely carved mantels and wood trim of the first floor. This somewhat reduced level of wood trim and detail is true throughout the second floor. For example, the doors on the first floor are large nine-panel doors, where the second floor has four-panel doors. The door hardware is slightly simplified on the second floor as well. The remainder of the second floor is a continuation of the first floor servants wing below, with a pair of small bedrooms and a dressing room for servants who likely functioned as nannies for the children. There was also a back stair for servants to access all three floors. Manor Restoration - Page 13

14 Second floor plan from 1880 drawings by Peabody & Stearns. Boston Public Library Fine Arts Department. The entire third floor was devoted to bedrooms for the remainder of the seven female servants that lived in the Manor and attended to all of the chores attending to the three Brooks children, the cooking, cleaning, dining room, laundry, etc. We know some information about the daily life of the Brooks family and the Manor through the remembrances of the sons of one of the Manor's female servants who worked there in the 1930s before getting married. For example, we know that the Brooks family farms generated enough food to be self-sufficient and that the Brooks families of Shepherd and Peter Chardon alternated Sunday dinners at each other's houses for much of the time at the Estate. On the third floor, there was also a trunk room, where the many trunks necessary for the various trips to and from Boston were stored. A small elevator lift is called for off the trunk room on the Peabody & Stearns 1880 drawings (from which many of the above facts were gleaned), but there is no extant evidence of this lift in the current Manor. Manor Restoration - Page 14

15 Third floor plan from 1880 drawings by Peabody & Stearns. Boston Public Library Fine Arts Department. Manor Restoration - Page 15

16 Manor Changes Made in 1900 In 1900, several changes were made to the Shepherd Brooks Manor. The most dramatic change was the addition of a new servant s bedroom over the porte-cochere which dramatically changed the massing and balance of the front elevation of the Manor, taking a delicate and complicated roof and replacing it with a heavier, all brick box, with a low-pitched copper roof. Other changes include the addition of a large one-story room at the extreme north end of the Manor, presumably for additional service or storage space off the main kitchen. The addition has a flat copper roof, but architecturally, the addition is a near-perfect match with the rest of the Manor s exterior walls, windows and trim. All of the above changes were designed by the same architect that designed the Manor and Carriage House in 1880 Peabody & Stearns. Shepherd Brooks Manor in 1884, on left and after the second floor one-room addition, in There were also significant changes to the Carriage House (listed separately in the Carriage House section of the Master Plan), and a brand new building east of the Manor, across the Access Drive a large gothic cottage called the Hamlet. The Hamlet was primarily used to accommodate Shepherd s then college-aged son Gorham and his (presumably) loud friends and to get them out of the Manor house. The floor plan actually labels the bedrooms Son s Room and Friend A, B & C Rooms. The Hamlet was a rustic place with a large fireplace in a double-height living room that housed hunting trophies on its walls and had a gun room down the hall according to the floor plans. Later used as a summer home for Gorham and his family, and as a house for the Medford Tree Warden after World War II, it eventually burned down with only its foundation presently intact. Manor Restoration - Page 16

17 Photo of Hamlet looking southeast. West elevation of Hamlet, by Peabody & Stearns, from Boston Public Library Fine Arts Department collection. Manor Restoration - Page 17

18 Manor Alterations Since World War II The Shepherd Brooks Manor was acquired by the City of Medford along with the rest of the 82- acre Brooks Estate in With the passing of Clara Brooks in 1939 and the Brooks family out of Medford, the question of what to do with the property was a pivotal one in the Estate s history. It was originally proposed that the City of Medford acquire a portion of the Estate for cemetery use and a portion for the Park Department. However, this dual-use would have required two bond issues for the $55,000 cost. In the end, Medford decided to issue a single bond "for cemetery purposes", as the Park Department had no means by which to repay the bond, while the sale of graves would provide such a means to repay the bond. By this time, the Point of Rocks building had been long abandoned and was being cannibalized and vandalized on a regular basis. For reasons that are difficult to fathom in retrospect, the grand Point of Rocks mansion was destroyed by the City of Medford in It is only because the Shepherd Brooks Manor was in better condition and could easily be converted into an apartment building for returning World War II veterans that the building was saved. A bit of context here is important. In 1946, there was no significant architecture preservation movement to speak of in the United States, which had just emerged from the Great Depression and World War II. Furthermore, at the time, there was not a critical mass of people interested in the Estate s history, architecture or value as open space. Presumably, the Brooks Estate would befall the same fate of the many other Medford estates that had already been developed as new neighborhoods. That this did not happen at the Brooks Estate is a fortuitous accident, rather than a result of any conscious plan. This explanation is not intended to forgive or apologize for the unacceptable act of destroying perhaps the grandest home ever built in Medford, Point of Rocks. What saved the Brooks Estate and Manor from destruction or development was its use as temporary housing for returning World War II veterans, freezing any permanent action on the Estate for ten years. Afterwards, as the forests grew, the Estate became largely a forgotten place, quite literally buried behind the slow but relentless expansion of the Oak Grove Cemetery. From , ten families lived in the Shepherd Brooks Manor as their first home, along with nearly 200 other families as part of the Brooks Village development on the Estate. Brooks Village was located at two sites off Grove Street flanking the Access Drive to the Manor. At the Manor, each major room was converted to a one-room apartment (the apartment numbers are still present on the doors of each room). A number of closets in the Manor were converted to bathrooms during this time and a new bathroom was built out in the corner of the Library. To create a functioning apartment building, several changes were made to the Manor interior and exterior, almost all related to egress and fire safety issues. On the interior, the main hall s ornate staircase was extended to the third floor (using much simpler details), which originally had only one stair serving the floor. Similarly, windows on the south elevation second and third floors were converted to simple fire doors that accessed a metal fire escape; a third window was also converted to a door on the north elevation of the Manor. Both fire escapes were removed in 2000 and the doors were restored as windows in 2003 as part of the overall roof and window restoration projects. Other changes made during the early post-war period include: the insertion of fire walls and doors across the main hall on the first and second floors; the west porch was poorly enclosed at the Manor Restoration - Page 18

19 second floor; and kitchens were created at both the second and third floors to accommodate cooking and living on all three floors. There was also some minor rearrangement of a few interior walls at the second and third floors to combine a few of the smaller servants rooms into larger bedrooms. From 1956 through the mid-1970s, the Manor was used as a city nursing home and later as a group home for physically challenged adults from These uses built on the previous apartment uses with remarkably few changes to the Manor interior and exterior (beyond the deferred maintenance). Very little documentation has been uncovered for this period in the Manor s history and this is an opportunity to fill in the gaps in this time period. Caretakers lived in the Manor until M-BELT assumed control of the land and buildings in Manor Changes since 1998 (Creation of M-BELT) The initial approach to the Manor restoration was driven by dire need. Before M-BELT even had a chance to take an inventory of the Manor, the last functioning bathroom in the building failed in the fall of 1998 and the last pre-m-belt caretaker moved out. It took some time to get up to speed on the Manor infrastructure, secure the funds and build a new bathroom, and during this time, a number of the Manor s windows were broken by those who were intrigued by a temporarily abandoned building. Compounding the problem, the existing roof was failing across the board, leaking in dozens of places as decades of deferred and poor maintenance took their toll. Shepherd Brooks Manor exterior photograph from After the bathroom was completed, M-BELT focused all of its energies on saving the Manor by restoring the roof. As this work was being planned, M-BELT was able to secure tens of thousands of dollars of in-kind construction services from a highly respected restoration design/build company Manor Restoration - Page 19

20 called Classic Restorations. The temporary measures taken by Classic Restorations surely saved the Manor from even greater deterioration and bought M-BELT precious time to start reversing the decay. In the case of the west porch, Classic Restorations shored the listing porch and stabilized it until a proper restoration could take place, which was recently completed in the spring of Without this important work, the west porch would have likely collapsed on its own in short order. Manor Restoration - Page 20 Shepherd Brooks Manor roof restoration project underway in The initial conditions described above set back the restoration project by about three years. Once the plumbing was secured and the roof restored, however, projects were undertaken at a regular pace, based on the available funds and project scope. Some years were devoted purely to architectural restoration while others were more focused on infrastructure improvements. In the past dozen years, M-BELT has overseen approximately $1 million of restoration and infrastructure improvements in the Manor and Carriage House, including: Classic Restorations Stabilization and Restoration ( ): $120,000. New Second Floor Caretaker Toilet (1999): $15,000. Two-Phase Slate, Copper and Chimney Roof Restoration ( ): $444,000. Window Restoration (2003); seventy windows including interior storms: $141,000. New Oil Tanks at Manor Basement (2004): $6,000. Restored Chimney (not done in ), extended to original height (2005): $32,000. ADA Toilet Construction (2007): $33,000. Electrical Upgrades (new panels) (2007): $10,000. New Boiler and Thermostatic Radiator Controls (2009): $14,000.

21 West Porch Restoration ( ): $180,000. Manor & Carriage House Maintenance and Repairs ( ): $49,500 Above and beyond this list of major projects, M-BELT volunteers worked on smaller projects on both the Manor interior and exterior, often at annual clean-ups in the spring and fall. These projects included scraping, sanding and repainting accessible areas of the Manor exterior and the major first floor rooms. M-BELT often was able to take advantage of highly skilled labor as well, for roof repairs and similar maintenance and small-scale restoration projects. All told, at least 10,000 volunteer hours of labor have been donated on behalf of M-BELT over the past decade, a testament to the generosity of M-BELT members and their belief in the Brooks Estate project. Shepherd Brooks Manor - Proposed Use The uses described below are directly linked to the detailed Business Plan in Section VII. First Floor: Public Use. With the most significant rooms and the highest quality of historic finishes, the first floor rooms will be restored to their original splendor and remain open for public use and meeting functions in association with the restored Carriage House and for use by the general public, especially non-profits in Medford. The five main public rooms on the first floor the main hall, Parlor, Library, Dining Room and Office will be the primary public rooms used for dayto-day meetings and small functions. These rooms will be restored to a very high level approaching their original appearance, including some period furniture, wall treatment and historically correct paint colors. However, it is not the intention to restore the Shepherd Brooks Manor as a house museum. Instead, it is recommended that the public rooms be restored in such a way as to allow contemporary uses for meetings, small functions, etc. For example, the furniture, while period appropriate, would not be museum-quality pieces, but would instead would be used to sit on and take day-to-day usage. Throughout the first floor, the story of the Brooks family and Estate's place in Medford's history would be told through displays of photographs, maps and other graphic means. It is recommended that the Office by far the smallest of the major public rooms be dedicated towards displaying interactive media so that visitors can get a sense of the rich history and significance of the Brooks Estate. The Office can be restored to its original appearance but would largely be used for more detailed research by visitors. Regular free public tours of the first floor should continue to tell the story of the Estate. Second Floor: Management and Function Facility Support Spaces. The main bedrooms on the south elevation overlooking Brooks Pond, originally used by Shepherd and Clara Gardner Brooks, will be restored as period bedrooms with a modern toilet in-between, and serve as preparation rooms for possible weddings (sometimes called "his and her" rooms) or other private events in either the Manor yard or Carriage House. In addition, the remainder of the floor will serve as support space for the larger Brooks Estate: the bedroom in the northwest corner of the Manor will be converted to a Library/Archives room, a repository for all of the maps, boards, binders, proposals, grants, publications, historic photographs that have been assembled over the past decade. This space will also be used for research on the Brooks family and any matters related to the Brooks Estate and Medford history connections. Finally, the remaining rooms on the second Manor Restoration - Page 21

22 floor will be devoted to business offices supporting the operation of running the overall Brooks Estate and Carriage House administration. The Carriage House facility will be run from offices located in the second floor overlooking the Carriage House booking, renting, marketing and supervising the Carriage House in a full- or part-time position. The anticipated public uses anticipated for the second floor of the Manor will require a modified elevator/accessible lift so that access as defined by the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the requirements of Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (MAAB) are satisfied. The design and construction of a compliant elevator/limited use lift from the first floor to the second floor will be a major design and construction challenge, in addition to being expensive. However, given the public mission of M-BELT and the strong desire to make as much of the Estate as accessible as possible, an accessible lift should be built in such a manner that is sensitive to the existing historic high-quality interior finishes of the Manor. A pair of stacked closets off the main hall appear to be excellent candidates for a lift in the Manor. Third Floor: Caretaker Apartment. A residential caretaker presence in the Manor is essential to the security and operations of the property. The third floor of the Manor will remain inaccessible to the public and be entirely occupied by the person(s) acting as the caretaker. This would entail rebuilding a new kitchen and toilet and restoring the floor as a self-contained apartment for up to four persons. The third floor apartment is a four-room apartment with two bedrooms, a large kitchen and a living room. The third floor will be entirely off-limits to all parties except the caretaker(s). It should be noted that the role of caretaker whose current primary duties are to provide security and presence at the Manor/Estate may eventually evolve to include running the day-to-day operations of the Manor/Estate. This evolving position may eventually require a background in history, as well as communication skills needed for leading tours and interacting with the public. Manor yard: See Part III, Historic Core Landscape Plan, in the Landscape Restoration Section of the Brooks Estate Master Plan. Summary of Shepherd Brooks Manor Uses: First Floor: Meeting center / small functions in historic rooms Presentation of history of Brooks Estate and Brooks family a major component of first floor character and restoration Kitchen used as support/food preparation area for meetings/functions in Manor, Carriage House or Manor yard. Manor ADA accessible entry and toilet located off kitchen (completed in 2007). Second Floor: Restoration of two period bedrooms and toilet to be used as wedding event preparation rooms BEPA / M-BELT / Brooks Estate library archives Business offices for Carriage House / Manor / Estate events Third Floor: Caretaker / curator private apartment Manor Restoration - Page 22

23

24

25

26 Summary of Major Manor and Carriage House Construction Projects No. Year Project Description CDBG Contribution M BELT Direct Financial Contribution M BELT In Kind Contribution Total Project Cost Comment Manor and Carriage House Stabilization $0 $0 $3,000 $120,000 In kind Design and Proj. Management Multi year stabilization of Shepherd Brooks Manor and Carriage House by private design build company Classic Restorations. Scope included stemming leaking roofs and saving failing west porch, restoring Carriage House main door and a dozen other repair and restoration projects, all 100% donated labor Manor Second Floor Bathroom $5,400 $9,600 $4,000 $15,000 Reconstruction Construct. materials, In kind Design and direct labor Proj. Management Project was completed after Manor plumbing failed. M BELT contributed design, project management and labor for all non plumbing construction Manor Slate Roof Restoration Phase 1 $100,000 $21, 800 $15,000 $333,000 Contribution to Construction costs In kind Project Management Project was funded by a combination of Mass. Preservation Project Funds ($100,000), Mass. State Legislature ($100,000) CDBG & M BELT funds Manor Verandah Roof Restoration $0 $20,000 $1,000 $20,000 M BELT paid 100% of construction costs. In kind Design and Proj. Management Project was prepared and executed solely by M BELT, using contractor and staff from main roof Manor Slate Roof Restoration Phase 2 $91,000 $12,000 $91,000 In kind Project Management Phase 2 of slate, copper roof restoration over northern 2 story wing of Manor Manor Window Restoration $93,150 $47,850 $8,000 $141,000 $15,000 architect & $32,850 construction In kind Project Management Restoration of 70 windows with all new shutters, interior storms; restoration of three non historic exterior doors to original windows. Manor Restoration Page 26

27 Summary of Major Manor and Carriage House Construction Projects No. Year Project Description CDBG Contribution M BELT Direct Financial Contribution M BELT In Kind Contribution Total Project Cost Comment Manor Chimney Restoration $30,000 $2,000 $4,000 $32,000 Preservation Architect In kind Project Management 4 of 5 Manor chimneys restored in ; 5th chimney was missing 15 feet and had to be recreated in this separate project Manor Oil Tank Replacement $5,575 $2,000 $5,575 In kind Design and Proj. Management Build 2 new oil tanks in Manor basement Manor ADA Accessible Toilet and $40,000 $3,000 $8,000 $43,000 Electrical Upgrades In kind Design and Proj. Management New ADA accessible toilet on Manor first floor serving general public. Electrical upgrades were overseeen by City of Medford Building Department Carriage House Roof Stabilization $15,000 $2,000 $15,000 Project In kind Design and Proj. Management Replacement of "temporary" roof from 1990s after it failed Manor Boiler Replacement Project $0 $12,820 $1,500 $15,000 In kind Design and Proj. Management New boilers in basement of Manor to replace 30 year old boiler on its last legs Manor West Porch Restoration $180,000 $10,000 $180,000 $30K Preserv. architect In kind Proj. Management Construction costs were $150,000. Complete reconstruction of 2 story west porch; recreation of historic details from photos. Total $560,125 $95,270 $67,500 $1,010,575 Notes: 1 In kind M BELT contributions are not counted as part of the total project cost 2 No City of Medford general funds have been expended on any of the above listed projects Manor Restoration Page 27

28 Construction Projects Project Name: Manor Second Floor Bathroom Reconstruction Year Completed: 1999 Description: Project was completed after Manor plumbing failed in fall of M BELT contributed design, project management and labor for all non plumbing construction. Complete gut renovation new tub, sink and toilet; new tiles at floor and tub surround, new wood beadboard, lighting. Cost: $15,000 Funding: A mix of CDBG, M BELT funds and in kind construction skills and management Architect: Proj. Manager: Contractor: Paul T. Walsh & Sons Co., plumbing, Medford, MA M BELT volunteers for demo, drywall and finishes. Existing Manor bathroom 1998 Upper right bathroom design drawing Lower right Renovated bathroom 1999 Manor Restoration Page 28

29 Construction Projects Project Name: Manor Slate Roof Restoration Phase 1 Year Completed: 2000 Description: The Manor roof restoration was determined to be the top priority to save the Manor, whose roof was failing in several areas due to years of deferred maintainence. Scope of work included all new copper gutters, downspouts and trim; restored red slate, restoration of altered dormer, four repointed chimneys. Phase 1 included approx. 70% of the roof. Cost: $333,000 Funding: A mix of CDBG funds ($161,200), grants ($50,000 Mass. Preservation Projects Funds), Mass. State Legislature ($100,000) and M BELT funds ($21,800). Architect: Jean Carroon Architects, Boston, MA Proj. Manager: Contractor: Crocker Architectural, North Oxford, MA Manor surrounded by scaffolding Copper downspout detail Detail of new copper roof and restored slate and chimneys Manor Restoration Page 29

30 Construction Projects Project Name: Manor Verandah Roof Restoration Year Completed: 2001 Description: After the completion of the Manor Phase 1 roof restoration, M BELT decided to use some of its own funds to complete a separate portion of the roof utilizing the Phase 1 contractor and staff already mobilized on site. Scope included new copper roof, gutters and downspouts for one story curved verandah porch. Cost: $20,000 Funding: Architect: funds Jean Carroon Architects, Boston, MA Proj. Manager: Contractor: Crocker Architectural, North Oxford, MA 1881 Historic Photo of Verandah 2000 Photo of Verandah Manor Restoration Page 30

31 Construction Projects Project Name: Manor Slate Roof Restoration Phase 2 Year Completed: 2002 Description: Continuation of the Manor roof restoration, completing the 30% of the roof on the north side of the Manor that was untouched in Phase 1 due to budget restraints. Scope of work matched Phase 1: all new copper gutters, downspouts and trim; restored red slate. Cost: $91,000 Funding: Architect: CDBG Funds Jean Carroon Architects, Boston, MA Proj. Manager: Contractor: Greenwood Industries, Worcester, MA Manor roof plan Phase 1 on the left and Phase 2 on the right Drawing by Jean Carron Architects Manor Restoration Page 31

32 Construction Projects Project Name: Manor Window Restoration Year Completed: 2003 Description: Restoration of 70 windows on Manor. Scope required removal of existing exterior storm windows, installation of interior storms, reglazing many broken windows, repairing and installing hardware, recreating three window openings that had been turned into doors, creating functioning wood shutters from historic photos and painting the windows and shutters in the appropriate historic Victorian green color. Cost: $141,000 Funding: Architect: A mix of CDBG ($93,150) and M BELT ($32,850) funds Roger Panek Architect, Brookline, MA ($15,000 paid by M BELT) Proj. Manager: Contractor: Varieka Construction, Brockton, MA Overall photo of Manor prior to window restoration Before window/door Overall photo of Manor after window restoration After two windows with shutters and interior storms Manor Restoration Page 32

33 Construction Projects Project Name: Manor Chimney Restoration Year Completed: 2005 Description: Restoration of the fifth and final chimney on the Manor. This chimney had been decapitated decades ago and was missing approximately 10 feet in height. Scope required cleaning the existing brick, matching the brick to the rest of the Manor, regrouting the chimney and recreating the brownstone top and flashing the chimney into the roof. Cost: $32,000 Funding: Architect: CDBG Funds Roger Panek Architect, Brookline, MA ($2,000 fee paid by M BELT) Proj. Manager: Contractor: Roger Tremblay Contractors, Salem, MA Manor chimney before reconstruction Manor chimney under reconstruction Manor Restoration Page 33

34 Construction Projects Project Name: Manor Oil Tank Replacement Year Completed: 2006 Description: The Manor is served by oil heat and it was determined by M BELT to replace the current oil tank with two new 275 gallon tanks in a basement storage room. After reviewing all possible options, a room in the basement was chosen to build the tanks and create an exterior fill station in a location that was visually unobtrusive, yet still functional for oil truck deliveries. The project details, as with all exterior architecture projects on the Manor, were approved by the Massachusetts Historical Commission, one of the guarantors of the Preservation Restriction on the Manor. Cost: $5,575 Funding: CDBG Funds Architect: Proj. Manager: Contractor: TMC Services, Bellingham, MA Basement floor plan showing new oil tanks. Drawing by M BELT. Manor Restoration Page 34

35 Construction Projects Project Name: Manor ADA Accessible Toilet and Elec. Upgrades Year Completed: 2007 Description: Create a new ADA accessible toilet on the Manor first floor for use by the caretakers and the general public. Project included a new accessible toilet and sink, baby changing station, tile floor and wood beadboard finish, and a "green" approach to energy use with low flow water fixtures and compact flourescent lights. Project also included all new electrical panels in basement to serve toilet and future Manor power needs. Cost: $43,000 Funding: A mix of CDBG ($40,000) and M BELT funds ($3,000) Architect: Proj. Manager: Contractor: BC Construction, Wakefield, MA Storage room prior to toilet project ADA toilet drawings by M BELT Completed ADA toilet, sink and baby changing station Manor Restoration Page 35

36 Construction Projects Project Name: Carriage House Roof Stabilization Project Year Completed: 2008 Description: The "temporary" roof on the Carriage House started to fall apart in 2008 and M BELT developed an RFP for a roof repair project to limit any further damage to the Carriage House. Scope of work included minor wood substrate repairs, repointing some bricks, and installing a protection board and a membrane roof mechanically fastened to the wood roof over approximately 50% of the building roof area. Cost: $15,000 Funding: Architect: CDBG funds Proj. Manager: Contractor: Eagle Point Builders, Belmont, MA South elevation drawing of Carriage House showing extent of re roofing Manor Restoration Page 36

37 Construction Projects Project Nam 1 Manor Boiler Replacement Project Year Completed: 2009 Description: The Manor was served by a 1980s era boiler that was at the end of its useful lifespan and needed to be replaced. M BELT used its own funds to build a new highefficiency boiler that would serve the Manor for the next few decades. Some minor repiping was necessary to create better heating zones in the Manor and a dozen control valves were installed at rooms to better control the heat to individual spaces. A new 80 gallon hot water heater was also part of the scope. Cost: $12,820 Funding: Architect: Proj. Manager: Contractor: James Thompson Plumbing & Heating, Medford, MA New boiler and water heater in Manor basement Manor Restoration Page 37

38 Construction Projects Project Name: Manor West Porch Restoration Year Completed: 2010 Description: Complete restoration/reconstruction of the two story west porch. The porch was literally taken apart and reconstructed from the foundation up. Many historic architectural pieces were recreated from existing salvaged pieces and historic photographs. Both porch floors were raised 1" to become ADA accessible. Cost: $180,000 Funding: Architect: CDBG funds McGinley Kalsow & Associates, Inc. Proj. Manager: Contractor: Yankee Steeple Chase, Harvard, MA West porch, 19th century West porch railing, column and roof details West porch, 2007 West porch with builder and architect, 2010 Manor Restoration Page 38

39

40 Shepherd Brooks Manor - Future Restoration Summary Manor Exterior Project Description Estimated Cost Copper and Slate repairs Replace broken slates and copper gutters/downspouts $45, % Masonry repointing Repoint all brick masonry, clean all brownstone sills and trim $40,000 Wood trim painting / restoration Scrape, sand and paint all non-window woodwork on exterior, $35,000 including decorative shingles to match original colors Restore porte-cochere copper roof Replace copper roof over porte-cochere (only portion of roof not restored to date) $14,000 Rebuild widow's walk railing Recreate wood railing from existing photos and drawings $24,000 Restore caretaker's entry canopy New roof structure to match original drawings, photographs; $10,000 copper finish; add roof snow guards above Restore ADA entrance porch Assume 25% wood replacement $10,000 Restore south verandah Missing wood trim, restore floor $30,000 Exterior Subtotal $208,000 Manor interior project Description Estimated Cost Restore five major first floor public rooms Remove non-historic library toilet Restore second floor master bedrooms, including common bathroom in-between Create new Library/Archives and offices at (3) second floor rooms Includes walls, ceilings, floors, lighting Removal of 1946 sink, toilet and shower, walls. Restore walls, floor and ceiling to match rest of Library New paint, patch walls, recreate missing wood mantle, new toilet, vanity and hardware. Provide new supply/waste to/from toilet and sink to basement in existing plumbing chase Cosmetic upgrades each room. $75,000 $10,000 $30,000 $5,000 Create new stair #3 to third floor; remove existing main stair extension to third floor Use existing closet to create stair to third floor; allows removal of inappropriate extension of main stair #1 from second floor $20,000 Create complete third floor apartment for caretakers New 900sf apartment; 100% new kitchen and bathroom $50,000 New cabinets, counters, sink, stove, refrigerator Mechanical/electrical/plumbing/fi re protection upgrades Upgrade building systems: add electrical and tel/data capacity outlets, plumbing supply, re-build sprinkler system $25,000 Interior Subtotal $215,000 Total Manor Restoration $423,000 Design - 20% $84,600 Construction Costs Total $507,600 Note: shaded areas = initial work to be completed in Year One. $150,000 Manor Restoration - Page 39