Medway works to save Thayer house, barn

Medway officials hope to receive low-enough bids this week to allow proper weatherproofing and preservation of the historical Thayer Homeplace.

The house and barn, situated on a 3.3-acre plot at 2B Oak St., were built in 1838 and are among the town's oldest structures. The town took control of the property by eminent domain four years ago after the owner sought a permit to tear the buildings down.

After several rounds of evaluating the scope of work and readjusting expectations when costs proved too high, officials are eager to see whether the latest bids fall within the town's means.

"The Thayer Homeplace is likely one of the last remaining places in Massachusetts with a homestead house, mill pond, and mill all adjacent to one another and still intact," said Marian Pierre-Louis, the town Historical Commission's vice chairwoman, who with the help of local historian Sue Cooper delivered a talk on the Thayer Homeplace last year. "Preserving the house and barn is integral to maintaining the historical integrity of the mill area."

Last year the Historical Commission recommended fixing up the house enough to shelter a caretaker, but selectmen ultimately decided to do less work. The repairs went out to bid again, this time with a reduced scope, but still came back higher than hoped, said David D'Amico, director of the town's Department of Public Services.

With an eye toward further reducing costs, the town decided to sacrifice some of the historical restoration elements, and will replace copper flashing with aluminum, switch to less expensive shingles, and make other changes, D'Amico said.

Following the eminent domain takeover, the Historical Commission used a $200,000 state appropriation to survey the property. According to the analysis by Newport Collaborative Architects Inc., the buildings required attention to protect them from further deterioration, including water leaks. The barn, in particular, has a rotted sill and was deemed structurally unstable.

The architects found that preserving the buildings and making the house fully inhabitable would cost $800,000, far more than the town could afford with the state appropriation.

"We don't have that kind of money, so we met with the architects and reduced the scope," said D'Amico.

The property was first owned by Addison Thayer, who lived there with his wife, Lydia, and their three children.

Medway was a factory town during the booming industrial revolution of the 1800s, and Thayer inherited his father's nearby mills that manufactured thread, mallets, and boxes.

"The Thayer Homeplace is a significant property within Medway due to the role of the family in the history of the town, the economy of the town, through the mills and the businesses owned by the Thayers, and the location of the land adjacent to Choate Park and the abutting conservation land to the north," said Robert Pomponio, chairman of the Historical Commission.

The commission has held public meetings to gather opinions as to what purpose a restored property could serve. Pomponio said there was overwhelming support for making it available for functions and events, and potentially providing space to exhibit some of the local historical group's collection.

"There are two proposals to develop either a pavilion or gazebo on a corner of the property that would allow for concerts and other events on the lawn," Pomponio said.

In this latest round of bids, the town is also splitting the repairs for the house and barn. The town will continue to seek a contractor for the barn who has expertise in historical structures, as the old post-and-beam construction requires the utmost care, according to D'Amico.

"We originally wanted someone with lots of historical experience" for the house as well, D'Amico said, "but we're kind of backing off that. We want somebody with experience and references," he said, but the historical expertise "is not make or break."

Bids for the repair work are due Thursday. The Historical Commission will review them and make a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen on how to proceed.

Pierre-Louis said she hopes the town will incorporate the Thayer Homeplace into Choate Park, and create a center common area for the town.

"I would like to see the barn and house preserved to a safe, functional, and aesthetically pleasing level so that it can provide public space for Medway residents that is attractive as a backdrop for weddings, functional for club meetings, and safe for all groups, including children and senior citizens," Pierre-Louis said.