Time has taken its toll on the 74 windows of Belchertown’s Clapp Memorial Library and critical infrastructure at the North Leverett Sawmill, leaving both historic buildings worse for wear.
Despite their condition, the two buildings remain significant spaces for their respective communities, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council and MassDevelopment recently recognized their importance by awarding Clapp Memorial Library a $130,000 grant to replace the windows, and the sawmill a $196,000 grant to install a septic system, a well and bathrooms at the historic building.
The Belchertown library at 19 South Main St. and sawmill on North Leverett Road were two of four facilities that received Cultural Facilities Fund grants this round.
“Our cultural spaces are where Massachusetts comes together — to learn, to celebrate and to be inspired,” Michael J. Bobbitt, executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, said in a statement. “Through the Cultural Facilities Fund, we’re helping ensure these beloved places remain safe, welcoming and vibrant for everyone who walks through their doors.”
The Cultural Facilities Fund has awarded more than $181 million to 1,610 cultural facility projects since 2007. The fund aims to elaborate on the state’s creative economy, increase business and tourism, and stimulate investment in local history and arts.
“We have a very good relationship with the Mass Cultural Council. They’ve funded us twice before,” said Susan Lynton, treasurer and founder of Friends of the North Leverett Sawmill. “I think the Mass Cultural Council is very important for organizations building cultural facilities.”
Clapp Memorial Library Director Cyndi Harbeson said at least a dozen window panes at the library’s upper level are cracked and wrapped in plastic. The original glass and sealing is not energy-efficient, so heating the building in winter is challenging and costly. Yet to replace all the windows costs around $400,000.
“Part of the reason the project is so costly is that they are all original, unique windows, so they have to be individually made, not mass-produced,” Harbeson said. “There are at least 50 windows that are all different shapes and designs, and we want to make sure that the windows have their historical look.”
Clapp Memorial Library has applied for Community Preservation Act funding from the town to cover the remaining cost.
“We are very thankful for the funding from both the state and the community,” Harbeson said, “and we are hopeful we will receive the remaining funding for make the project go forward.”
The North Leverett Sawmill, meanwhile, is being turned into an historic museum and community space in a project that is expected to cost $2 million. Lynton said the Friends group has raised more than $1 million, including grants.
This latest grant specifically funds the design and installation of accessible bathrooms for families and a composting septic system. Samuel Black, director of the Friends, said this type of septic system does not require a large mounded leach field that would interfere with the property’s historic character.
“The bathrooms inside the building are there for the eventual public comfort and use, particularly for with ADA-compliant design,” said Black, referring to the Americans with Disabilities Act. “It should make it a better experience with those in place.”
