Town Center Buildings Project

Transcription

1 Town Center Buildings Project The Town Center Vision Committee was formed to inform Lee residents about the condition of the town center buildings and the proposed plan for facility renovation and modernization of the structures. The town center buildings consist of the Town Hall, Lee Library, Lee Historical Society Building (old South Lee freight depot building), the Town Annex, and the Tool Shed with Tramp Room, also known as the Hobo Shed. In previous weeks E-Crier articles, we showed the conditions at the Town Hall and the Lee Library. This week we will be focusing on the remaining buildings at Town Center, specifically, the Tool Shed with Tramp Room, Lee Historical Society Museum and the Town Annex. These and other issues need to be attended to as soon as possible. Tool Shed History The town built this shed behind the present day town hall as a place to house town tools. At the Annual Town meeting in March of 1915 the town took up Warrant Article #5 To see if the Town will vote to build a building for the road machine and other town implements and make appropriation for same It was voted to empower the Selectmen to build such building as their judgment deemed appropriate the cost not to exceed 300 dollars.

2 Structural Condition The structural report from November 2016 noted that the roof construction is quite light but has lasted this long... only two timber ties run across to prevent spreading. There is some diagonal bracing... When the railway came through Lee in 1874, transients, hobos or tramps traveling on the railway freight cars would stop in Lee and ask for handouts and a place to sleep. The town took on the responsibility for providing food and lodging for these men. The town s selectmen paid various townsfolk 25 cents per night to feed them. Town records show $2.50 was spent in 1923 to build tramp bunks and, in 1927, $3.00 to buy mattresses and springs for the tramp room. The Great Depression created a greater need as the town spent $29.50 for the care of 59 transients in After the Second World War, the need appears to have lessened because there doesn t appear to be any tramps housed after that time. From Town Center Building History, edited by: Scott Bugbee, 2016, with additional research materials provided by: Randy Stevens, Kevin Shenefiel, Phyllis White, Patricia Jenkins, Laura Gund and from Annual Reports of the Selectmen, Treasurer, Collector, Librarian, Highway Agents, and Board of Education and Vital Statistics of the Town of Lee, N. H. for the Year Ending February 15, 1916

3 The New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places The Lee Heritage Commission submitted applications to the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources in December, requesting that these three town buildings be considered for addition to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places: Lee Town Hall, Lee Tool Shed with Tramp Room, Lee Historical Society Museum. The first two have already received a Determination of Eligibility (DOE) and are on the agenda for final approval for placement in the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places on January 29th. The Museum will be considered for a DOE in February and could be considered for final approval in April. Listing in the Register helps qualify a building for state financial assistance for preservation projects. From the NHDHR website: The New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places is an honorary listing that encourages the protection of significant buildings, districts, sites, landscapes, structures or objects that are meaningful in the history, architecture, archeology, engineering, or traditions of New Hampshire residents and communities. Owners of property listed on the State Register are free to maintain, manage or dispose of their property as they choose, without oversight or comment from the NHDHR. Lee Historical Society Museum History The former South Lee Freight Depot, built about 1874, serves today as the Lee Historical Society Museum. The building originally stood at the junction of Calef Highway (Route 125) and Harvey s Mill Road (Route 152). The land and buildings at the South Lee Depot were sold by the Boston and Maine Railroad to William

4 A. Plumer for $1.00 on December 12, After other transactions, it was purchased by Otis Goodrich and moved to Epping where it was converted into a house. The tall open room was partitioned into two stories with two rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs. It also served as a storeroom for the J.F. Brown Co. on whose property it was located (across Calef Highway from the present day NAPA store in Epping). In the spring of 1973 the building was put on the market. The Lee Historical Society approached Dwight Brown and he graciously donated it. The building was moved on September 1, 1973 to its present location on Lee Hill next to the Library. Condensed from Town Center Building History, edited by: Scott Bugbee, 2016, with additional research materials provided by: Randy Stevens, Kevin Shenefiel, Phyllis White, Patricia Jenkins, and Laura Gund

5 Structural Condition The horizontal crack in the foundation can be seen just above the lowest visible full course of concrete masonry units.

6 Operational Condition This space in the first floor display area functions as the office, file storage, and records research area. Historical Society Museum Condition Only one of the two second floor support posts has a first floor support post under it, allowing the second floor support beam to sag. The concrete masonry unit (CMU) foundation wall lacks adequate vertical reinforcement allowing a horizontal crack in the south wall. The second floor is not ADA accessible.

7 Damp basement and limited climate control do not provide good storage conditions for the collection. No storage or display area for large items. No office space or separate record storage space. No separate space to allow the public to research records. Collection additions are limited by the lack of storage and display space. Limited and inefficient incandescent lighting. And more... Town Hall Annex This building was built in 1950 as the town s first fire station using lumber cut from town land where the Transfer Station now stands. In 1975, the Fire Department moved north on Mast Road to a new building (now the new Highway Department Annex). After the Fire Department moved out, the Town appropriated $1,000 in 1976 to re-shingle the roof. The Annex remained a garage until 1980 when the Town appropriated $16,000 in March of that year to renovate the old fire station building. The Police station opened there in mid July, From Town Center Building History, edited by: Scott Bugbee, 2016, with additional research materials provided by: Randy Stevens, Kevin Shenefiel, Phyllis White, Patricia Jenkins, and Laura Gund

8 When the new public safety complex was built in 2003, the Lee Police Department moved into that new building on 20 George Bennett Road and the Planning and Zoning and the Code Enforcement office moved from the second floor of the Town Hall into the Annex. From Town Center Building History, edited by: Scott Bugbee, 2016, with additional research materials provided by: Randy Stevens, Kevin Shenefiel, Phyllis White, Patricia Jenkins, and Laura Gund Town Hall Annex Condition Roof shingles are in poor condition. Replacement has been postponed as the plan for the building is being determined. The rear roof slope has a noticeable bow. Concrete slab-on-grade is uneven. Parking spaces require backing into the road. And more...

9 In upcoming E-Crier editions, the Town Center Vision Committee will share information about the proposed plan to address these buildings needs. The last article will be about the proposal to purchase some land between the Lee Church Congregational and the town center so the Town has some additional space to grow. For more information about the buildings and the proposed plan, please go to the Town Center Vision Committee s web site at