Lower Highlands Historic District – House Renovation/Restoration

Lower Highlands Historic District – House Renovation/Restoration

Lower Highlands Historic District House Renovation/Restoration

Fall River, MA

This project was the renovation and restoration of a historic home located in the Lower Highlands Historic District of Fall River, owned and operated by a non-profit organization. The project consisted of reconfiguring the existing first and second floor plans to better suit the needs of the occupants and designing a new, historically sensitive addition at the rear of the building. In addition, original architectural features, such as the millwork and mantel pieces, were salvaged and restored and the metal fire escape was moved to the side in order to maintain the historic aesthetic of the building.

Lower Highlands Historic District – House Renovation/Restoration
North Burial Ground Gatehouse Restoration

North Burial Ground Gatehouse Restoration

North Burial Ground Gatehouse Restoration

Fall River, MA

Work has been done to restore the gatehouse at North Burial Ground in Fall River, MA. The restoration included the cleaning and repointing of the historic masonry, salvaging and repairing the wood trim, doors, and windows, and restoring the wrought iron entry gate.

North Burial Ground is the oldest city-owned cemetery in Fall River. It was officially purchased by the city in 1825, however, some headstones date back to the early 1800’s. At the east entrance to the cemetery, located along North Main Street, is the gatehouse. The gatehouse, constructed around 1890, was designed in the Romanesque Revival style and is comprised mainly of a slate tile roof, fieldstone walls, and Fall River granite foundation. The cemetery and gatehouse are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Click Here to view newspaper articles about the site dating back to 1894

Construction included replacement and upgrades to the door and door hardware as well as the gutter and downspout and restoration of the granite steps, windows, masonry walls, and colonettes.

Bourne and Wood Building Restoration

Bourne and Wood Building Restoration

Bourne and Wood Building Restoration

New Bedford Whaling Museum

Civitects PC worked with the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the City of New Bedford, and the Massachusetts Historical Commission to restore the iconic cupola and windows associated with the historic Bourne and Wood Buildings.

The Bourne Building and Cupola were originally constructed in 1916 in memory of Captain Johnathan Bourne and as a symbol of New Bedford’s prominent role in the whaling industry. Nearly two decades later, in 1934, the Wood Building was constructed to house the Whaling Museum’s growing archival collection and additional gallery space for the public. The New Bedford Whaling museum is listed on the State Register of Historic places and is included on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the New Bedford National Historic Landmark District.

 

This project was part of the Whaling Museum’s ongoing efforts to preserve and protect these historic structures.  The goal of the project was to restore the heavily damaged wood trim, deteriorated windows sealants, and peeling paint in order to preserve and maintain the historic character of the building. Where possible, the original wood trim and details were saved and restored using consolidant and epoxy. Wood details damaged beyond repair were removed and replaced in kind with new trim that matched the size, shape, and profile of the original. Areas of blistering and peeling paint were scraped, primed, and painted to match the existing trim color. 

 

The work was funding in part by a Mass Historic Preservation Fund Grant and through the Community Preservation Act.

Oak Grove Cemetery Entrance

Oak Grove Cemetery Entrance

Oak Grove Cemetery Entrance

Fall River, MA

Civitects, PC worked with the City of Fall River to restore the masonry and wrought iron at the historic Oak Grove Cemetery Entrance Gate.

 

The cemetery was designed in 1855 by Josiah Brown, who also designed several prominent Mills around Fall River including the Union Mill Complex located on Pleasant St. It was designed in the Rural Garden Style and features Gothic Revival design elements, including the main entry gate made of locally quarried Fall River Granite. For several decades, Oak Grove was considered to be the fashionable place to be buried and is the final resting place of many Fall River elites. The cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

The 1873 ironwork, consisting of pedestrian and vehicular gates and an ornate cross atop the granite arch, was carefully restored, and damaged or missing elements were replaced with new castings. Areas, where the hand-cut granite masonry was loose, were repaired and reconstructed, removing previous patchwork and organic material. The mortar joints were carefully hand raked, cleaned, and repointed.

 

This project was funded by the Fall River Community Preservation Act.

UMB Nantucket Field Station

UMB Nantucket Field Station

Nantucket Field Station

University of Massachusetts Boston, Satellite Campus

This project was a renovation to an existing laboratory located on Nantucket and owned by Boston University. The project reorganizes the existing space and enlarged the toilet room, for code compliance, while maintaining the existing footprint. Existing wood siding, windows, and framing had begun to rot in areas along the exterior of the building and required replacement.

The building is located within the Nantucket Historic District and required coordination with the local preservation society when choosing new materials for the exterior repairs, that would be both appropriate and durable.

UMB Nantucket Field Station
University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass) - Nantucket Field Station Exterior Rear
University of Massachusetts Boston - Nantucket Field Station Exterior Addition
University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass) - Nantucket Field Station Exterior
University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass) - Nantucket Field Station Floor Plan