the stone building - lexington ma

CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT, RECOMMENDATIONS

& CONCEPTUAL PLANS

PROJECT UPDATEAUGUST 11, 2009

M E N D E R S , T O R R E Y & S P E N C E RA R C H I T E C T U R E ● P R E S E R V A T I O N

The Stone Building

C O N D I T I O N S A S S E S S M E N T• Property history & significance• Architectural & materials

assessment• Structural assessment• Regulatory & access review

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S & P L A N S• Conceptual plans• Treatment & code

recommendations• Cost estimates• Maintenance plan

Project Components

o A R C H I T E C T : M E N D E R S , T O R R E Y & S P E N C E R

o A R C H I T E C T U R A L H I S T O R I A N : A N N E G R A D Y

o S T R U C T U R A L E N G I N E E R : S T R U C T U R E S N O R T H

o P R E S E R V A T I O N C A R P E N T E R S : G R E E N L E A F & O ’ D O H E R T Y

o P A I N T A N A L Y S I S : F I N C H & R O S E

o C O S T E S T I M A T I N G : A . M . F O G A R T Y

Project Team

Circa 1855 - 1860

Building History

Spring 1833: Design by IssacMelvin incorporated Asher Benjamin motifs

Living quarters on 1st floor & ell, lecture hall on 2nd floor

Jan 1834: First Lyceum lecture held in hall

1855: Light body color, dark shutters

Circa 1900

Building History

Shutter panels below windows suggest fashionable full length openings

Windows & doorway painted darker shade than body

1893: Building sold by Ellen Stone to the Town for use as library

1903: Celebration of 100th

anniversary of Emerson’s birth

1921

Building History

1943: Trustees considered razing building

1947: Extensive renovations completed

1964: Aluminum siding installed as alternative to expensive paint removal

1976: Placed on National Register with Follen Church

2007: Building closed after pipe burst

Circa 1855 - 1860

Research Theorem

The Stone Building may have been one of the earliest lyceums in America, serving Lexington through education & dialogue

C O N J E C T U R E D H I S T O R I C C O N D I T I O N S• Front Façade and Elevations• Floor Plans

Conjectural Drawings

Based on historic photographs, these are conjectural elevations of the original ell of the Stone Building.

The ell was likely divided into two rooms on each level, with a central circulation area on the first level connecting to the front stair hall

S E L E C T I V E M A T E R I A L R E M O V A L

• Beneath aluminum siding original clapboards still extant

• Exterior wood in fair – good condition

Work Performed to Date

S T R U C T U R A L I N V E S T I G A T I O N• King post trusses in the Attic• Vintage lally columns in the

basement


M A T E R I A L R E M O V A L• Fireplace & panels exposed


M A T E R I A L S & P A I N T A N A L Y S I S• Gray-blue sanded paint discovered

as an early layer at the façade.• Many tans and creams on interior

trim.


M A T E R I A L S & P A I N T A N A L Y S I S• Interior & exterior color chronologies coming clearer.


The Stone Building Story unfolds on the Carey Memorial Library website – soon to go “live”

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S , P L A N S & R E P O R T

• Conceptual plans for reuse• Stabilization/preservation

recommendations & estimates

• Building code/MAAB recommendations & estimates

• Cyclical maintenance plan• Final report

Next Steps

H I S T O R I C B U I L D I N G &

E L L R E C O N S T R U C T I O N

Conceptual Plans

Conceptual Plans•Historic plan as precedent and guide for the existing building

• Restore Lyceum Hall• Restoring stairway• Flexibility of space• Clear entry

•Ell footprint as location for circulation and support elements conducive to modern use.

• Elevator• Second exit• Restrooms• Storage

BASEMENT FIRST FLOOR SECOND FLOOR

Conceptual Elevations•Historic precedent as guide

•Massing minimized

•New elements to meet code requirements

Site•Access

•Drainage

•Parking

Awaiting survey

W I N T E R I Z I N G R E P A I R S

• Gutter repairs• Close gaps in woodwork

Stabilization & Preservation

Building Code and Access

R O B B I N S H A L LS T R U C T U R A L C O N S I D E R A T I O N SC O D E L I M I T A T I O N S

• Maximum occupancy• Exiting requirements

S T O N E B U I L D I N G A C C E S SA C C E S S C O D E

• Entering• Vertical circulation

MaintenanceChart of cyclical maintenance.

• Budgeting• Capital Planning• Annual Maintenance• Material life cycle

estimating.

Final Report

M I D - S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 9

M E N D E R S , T O R R E Y & S P E N C E RA R C H I T E C T U R E ● P R E S E R V A T I O N

The Stone Building

the stone building - lexington ma

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