COLRAIN — The Pitt House at 8 Main Road, where Colrain’s Historical Society holds public programs and keeps its collection of artifacts, has been closed indefinitely by the Selectboard. This follows an inspection of the building at the beginning of June, when it was determined that repairs worth $84,000 to $120,000 would have to be completed before a certificate of occupancy for the house and its barn could be granted.
Selectboard Chairman Mark Thibodeau notified Historical Society Board of Directors Chair Belden Merims in a letter that the house and barn would be locked and secured, but that as a courtesy, the Historical Society would be given two weeks to remove any items in the building. After that, Historical Society members will only have access to the building on a case-by-case basis with permission from the Selectboard.
The Historical Society is now planning to hold its summer programs at the house of the group’s vice president Joan McQuade, across the street from the Pitt House. Members are retrieving from the Pitt House the artifacts and materials needed for the society’s July 12 program, including a wagon stored in the barn that was used for delivering meat and vegetables in town.
Merims called the change a “major impediment for the Historical Society,” but acknowledged that the building’s lack of a certificate of occupation could be a liability for the Selectboard.
The Selectboard has been exploring options for selling the property since last summer, when a structural report detailed the extent of the building’s problems and the estimated cost of fixing them. Water running down from the hill behind the house is hurting the foundation of the building, Selectman Jack Cavolick said. Merims said she had noticed that the barn was sinking and might eventually tear off from the main structure.
“I would like to see it sold and have the next person take care of it,” Selectwoman Eileen Sauvageau said.