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Date: 7/6/2021
NORTHAMPTON– During the Northampton Historical Commission’s June 28 meeting, the commission approved renovations to the Shepherd Barn and to support a Community Preservation Act (CPA) application for the Michelson Galleries façade reconstruction.
To start the discussion about restoring Shepherd Barn, Historical Commission Chair Martha Lyon said the project came through the commission because it is the steward for a preservation restriction on the property.
“City Hall has a preservation restriction on this entire campus, and we are the stewards of the restriction on behalf of the city. We are charged with reviewing any major work proposed to ensure any changes are made in coordination and with respect for the historical integrity of the property,” she said.
Laurie Sanders, a member of Historic Northampton, said the restoration would maintain the historical fabric of the building while making needed renovations to the property.
“We tried to go through and identify what is going to stay the same, not only in terms of alteration, repair and replacement, but also some new structures. We are not only working hard to maintain as much of the historical fabric, but we also have some serious structural issues that we have to address and we want to make that building as functional as possible,” she said.
Elizabeth Sharpe, another member of Historic Northampton, said the point of the restoration is to keep the look the building currently has.
“The point in our restoration is that we want to make it look as much like it does now. It is the carriage barn to the Shepherd House, and it will still have that appearance because it will be the same barn on the same footprint,” she said.
One of the biggest additions to the site is a shed in the back along with some general landscaping improvements.
“There will be a shed addition to the back but from the street it will look the same, the landscaping around it will be much improved and we are looking forward to being able to use it for the public. It is one thing to keep it and another to use it,” Sharpe said.
Once the restorations are complete, Sharpe said the place will be used as a gathering space and an exhibit for the public to come check out.
“It will be used as a performance and a gathering space where we can do activities and classes. The interior will also be an exhibit so there will be something to see when it is not used for a performance,” she said.
The commission unanimously approved the restoration project.
Paul Gulla, the manager of Michelson Galleries, started his presentation by discussing masonry issues in the foundation of the building due to water damage.
“It is a 1913 building; it has a big façade on the front that extends above the roof and there is a large tree that comes from the sidewalk that puts shade onto the building. Water is getting in through the limestone blocks and corroding the masonry underneath, and we are seeing some fracturing from the limestone blocks falling into the street,” he said.
Gulla said the project requires rebuilding the masonry interior and would cost more than they can afford.
“The limestone blocks are going to need to be lifted off the top of the capital, the masonry interior is going to need to be rebuilt, and then put back to be sealed up. We have gotten one masonry quote and it is beyond our capabilities,” he said.
In order to avoid further damage, Gulla said he would like the project to be completed before the winter.
“We did not want to wait until the fall because we cannot go through another winter because the water is getting through the cracks, freezing and expanding,” he said.
Commission member Dylan Gaffney said he thought the building is historically significant.
“I think it is clearly historically significant to downtown, it is visually significant to the entire look of that side of Main Street, it is people’s history as a bank and as a gallery. People care about maintaining the look of the building, and it is over 100 years old, so I think it is certainly significant,” he said.
The commission unanimously agreed the building is historically significant and will now move forward to the Community Preservation Committee.
During the meeting the commission also agreed to continue hosting all its meetings on Zoom for at least the remainder of the summer.