Old Academy Building, New Salem Seeks Architects for Restoration Project
admin | Tuesday, April 6th, 2010 | No Comments »
The Old Academy Building in New Salem is a historic 1838 Greek Revival school building that is a rare example of “stack-plank” construction. The academy itself was incorporated in 1795, one of this country’s oldest academies, and also one of the earliest co-educational academies. When the original academy building burned in 1837, New Salem residents donated materials and labor to construct the current building. Later in the 19th century, he Old Academy Building became a public high school, and then served as the town’s public library from 1913 to 1970. In 1978, the Academy was listed on the National Register. In 1996, PM named it as one of the Commonwealth’s Most Endangered Historic Resources.
The Old Academy Building is the largest surviving stack-plank or ribbon construction building in the country. Rather than using timber or balloon framing, the stack-plank method was literally that—a series of planks stacked one on top of the other and nailed together where the planks overlapped. This created a sturdy, well-insulated building that could be raised quickly and without complex joinery. Inside the Academy retains its 19th-century features, including a tin ceiling that was added in 1879, and the arched plaster walls and ceiling in the attic, which were graffittied by generations of Academy students.
Over the past eleven years, the New Salem Historical Commission has received a series of grants to stabilize and restore the building, the most recent being a Save America’s Treasures grant. In 2009, a state grant matched the SAT funds, for a total of nearly $350,000. The building has been stabilized, and a recently appointed building committee now seeks an architect to oversee the next phase of the restoration, which will include both exterior and interior repairs. Interested consultants can find information about the RFQ here. or for a copy of the RFQ, contact the Town Coordinator at the New Salem Town Offices in the Stowell Building, 19 South Main Street, New Salem, MA 01355.
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