Historic Northampton Awarded Beveridge Family Foundation Grant
Repair of posts in the Shepherd Basement
In May 2015, the Beveridge Family Foundation approved a grant of $5,000 towards Historic Northampton’s basement stabilization project. This grant is a substantial contribution to the program of collections care undertaken by acting director Nancy Rexford. The Beveridge Foundation funds will be used to purchase high-quality dehumidifiers, essential for stabilizing humidity in the basements.
Significant improvements to the four basements among the three historic houses began in fall 2014. In November 2014, Abide, Inc. provided abatement services to remove asbestos from the Parsons and Damon houses. With funding from the Community Preservation Grant, the work continued this spring in the Shepherd House basement. Abide returned in May for asbestos removal. Next, Korpita Masonry made repairs in the foundation, bulkheads and window wells to prevent water entry. Now, Kris Thomson Restoration Carpentry is addressing structural issues. At left, is a view of the Shepherd House basement. Its shows the upside-down tree-trunk posts that were the original supports, with new concrete pads supporting them at the bottom. Smaller new posts have been added in between. This summer the Damon House basements will also undergo preservation work that will ameliorate collections storage issues.
Significant improvements to the four basements among the three historic houses began in fall 2014. In November 2014, Abide, Inc. provided abatement services to remove asbestos from the Parsons and Damon houses. With funding from the Community Preservation Grant, the work continued this spring in the Shepherd House basement. Abide returned in May for asbestos removal. Next, Korpita Masonry made repairs in the foundation, bulkheads and window wells to prevent water entry. Now, Kris Thomson Restoration Carpentry is addressing structural issues. At left, is a view of the Shepherd House basement. Its shows the upside-down tree-trunk posts that were the original supports, with new concrete pads supporting them at the bottom. Smaller new posts have been added in between. This summer the Damon House basements will also undergo preservation work that will ameliorate collections storage issues.
Once the basement improvements are completed, Historic Northampton will purchase with the Beveridge Foundation funds four high-quality Santa Fe Compact dehumidifiers. The dehumidifiers will help maintain stable environments in these spaces and safeguard the improvements that have been made.
Stabilization of the basements will:
The Beveridge Family Foundation exists to fund institutions in Hampden and Hampshire counties that serve the common good. The foundation continues the charitable legacy of Frank Stanley Beveridge (1879-1956), who established Stanley Park and the Frank Stanley Beveridge Foundation. Beveridge came from Canada to attend Mount Hermon School in Northfield, Massachusetts. He worked as director of sales at the Fuller Brush Company of Hartford, Connecticut before founding Stanley Home Products in Westfield in 1913.
Stabilization of the basements will:
- lower basement humidity to discourage rot in house timbers,
- stabilize the storage environment to inhibit mold and corrosion,
- improve air quality and
- make collections safer to research, handle and exhibit.
The Beveridge Family Foundation exists to fund institutions in Hampden and Hampshire counties that serve the common good. The foundation continues the charitable legacy of Frank Stanley Beveridge (1879-1956), who established Stanley Park and the Frank Stanley Beveridge Foundation. Beveridge came from Canada to attend Mount Hermon School in Northfield, Massachusetts. He worked as director of sales at the Fuller Brush Company of Hartford, Connecticut before founding Stanley Home Products in Westfield in 1913.