SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Preservation Trust is one step closer to bringing the city’s third-oldest building back to life. Over the weekend, the organization revealed it has spent $150,000 to install a new roof on the building at 7-9 Stockbridge St., near the downtown center.
The money was also used to create a new copper cornice at the top of the three-story brick building and to replace crumbling mortar.
Officials held a small reception outside the building, on a narrow way off Main Street across from the MGM Casino, to showcase the improvements.
“There was severe water damage from a hole in the roof, and while there is still a great deal of work to be done on the inside of the building and in the basement, you can see beautiful, exposed wooden beams,” said Sean Johnson, executive vice president of the trust.
The building was constructed as a grocery store and deli in the 1840’s by Elam Stockbridge, according to the trust. Business was brisk as it benefitted from heavy foot traffic from a thriving and growing downtown business district.
Vestiges of the past remain in the basement, where Johnson says tourists will some day be able to see the business’ original refrigeration units.
A Community Preservation Act grant paid for work on the roof and façade. CPA grants promote historic preservation and are funded by surcharges on real estate taxes and matching grants from the state.
The building remains uninhabitable, as officials work to understand whether the structure is stable and if the foundation needs to be fortified. Repair work inside will be extensive, and officials are working on a plan and funding sources for interior renovation.
The goal is for the second and third floors to become apartments while the first floor is expected to house offices of the trust, which had called the building home in the early 1970s.
“This is a great example of the history of Springfield, making it seem timeless as people go down the side streets and seeing what was and what will be,” said Johnson.
“This is one of those times where you get to be part of history and preserve something historic. We’re saving something that is part of the fabric of Springfield,” he said.
The trust has launched a fundraising drive to raise $5,000 to cover the cost of painting the building.
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