The Preservation Collaborative

Historic preservation experience has real-world value. We’re currently working on a lab within an early 20th-century industrial complex, where understanding historic construction helps us accurately document existing conditions and detail solutions the builder can execute with confidence. While not every surprise can be avoided, this knowledge helps save time, money, and headaches.

We're in LOVE with this project! Happy Valentine's Day (Saturday, but close enough!). The framing has been completed in the living room. Insulation has been completed, and now we're ready for some real progress. The transition the following week will be like night and day. Plastered wallboard makes the spaces feel light and airy. The owners are excited to be picking colors to paint these spaces. Are you ready? Stay tuned!

We couldn't resist a few more shots of ongoing work in the interior of our Littleton cottage. It's rare that you get to see the skeletal system so enjoy these pre-repair shots. The contractor will fix the framing in the coming week.

Work continues! The rear wall is complete with siding and trim. The new concrete pad for the rear deck has been poured. On the inside, insulation has started along the foundation section. Walls continue to be repaired. We're almost at insulation!

We recently had an unexpected discovery in our 1930s cottage. While demolishing the living room ceiling in preparation for vaulting it, we uncovered writing on the walls behind the finishes. Several areas of the wall sheathing consist of painted boards, leading us to believe that the builder repurposed old military crates. Given our proximity to Fort Devens—an active installation during World War I—and the common practice of selling or disposing of military surplus during peacetime, it’s quite possible that the owner or builder acquired this material and creatively upcycled it into the house.

The building’s framing is extremely light, consisting of 2x4 members. While this isn’t unusual for a house of this era, it does require reinforcement to meet modern code. New rafters will be sistered alongside the existing ones, providing the necessary structural capacity and just enough depth for proper insulation. During this work, the carpenter also identified a spongy area in the floor, so the first-floor framing will be repaired concurrently.

These are just a few of the many conditions typically encountered in older homes. Some can be anticipated through experience with historic construction methods; others reveal themselves only once work is underway. When unexpected issues arise, we respond quickly, developing solutions that balance code compliance, the project budget, and the contractor’s expertise.

What a difference one week can make! The building is really coming together quickly. The carpenters are finishing trim and siding on the exterior. Interior partitions are framed up. You can really step into the new living room and bathroom. There's lots of storage space in the three closets off the hallway.

What's next? Tearing open the existing living and dining room to correct water infiltration issues around the existing chimney. Once those are fixed, we can insulate the entire building! Wallboard and finishes are in the near future.

Today we're in Cambridge to check the progress on our client's project. Cambridge Health Alliance owns this historic 19th-century shingle style Victorian, which operates as its birth center. We had the opportunity to restore the exterior from top to bottom. Now it's time for the interior.

The first floor has been renovated into a clinic. It maintains much of the period details, such as windows, doors, wood floors, trim, and ornamental plaster. The second floor is a bit more modern and has three bedrooms for expectant mothers. Our job is to design for new birth tubs and ADA-compliant shower stalls. We were able to maintain those same period details while providing much-needed updates to the facility.

Happy New Year! As we embark on 2026, we will pick up where we left off in our project postings. Our Littleton project is done, but we'll continue these updates to catch up and finish this journey. We have many more projects under construction and can't wait to share those with you.

The addition is framed, and the exterior is beginning to be closed in. The roof is next, followed shortly by the siding. We'll be matching the wooden shingles to keep the cottage look and feel. Tune in next week as we share the great work completed by

Tomorrow - Saturday - is the walking tour of the Wellington Neighborhood. Please come to the corner of Riverside and 5th at 10 AM. You will enjoy the stories of some amazing people such as Mary Hopkins who rode a bicycle, edited a magazine, cared for her family and talked about the value of exercise for women...and this all happened in the 1890s!

October is archaeology month in Massachusetts! Join us on October 5, 2024 at 9AM for a fall walking tour of Haywardville, Massachusetts Reservations are required. Please be sure to snag your free tickets by reserving them by clicking the link on our Facebook event (https://www.facebook.com/events/378115485280348) or directly on our Eventbrite page here: https://haywardvillefall2024.eventbrite.com/