In December 2018, CHS received a $10,000 matching grant from the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP). Its purpose was to create a preservation planning study called a Historic Structure Report (HSR) for the Stone House Tavern Museum. The contract for the study was awarded to Weller & Michal Architects Inc. (Harrisville, NH). The report provided a road map to guide CHS in identifying and assessing the building's preservation needs and priorities. It concluded that it could be accomplished in a two-phase project.
Chesterfield New Hampshire Historical Society
Stone House Tavern Museum Project
Stone House Tavern Museum Project
This section is in chronological order starting at purchase to recent developments.
CHS purchased the Stone House Tavern and ell (with two apartments) in April 2018 with the goal of opening it as the Stone House Tavern Museum. Since the purchase, the CHS board and volunteers have diligently worked writing grant applications and soliciting funds through donations. Renovation and construction, especially to meet fire and safety codes, has proven to be expensive! The following paragraphs will highlight what has been accomplished during the past few years.
To purchase the building, a massive fundraising campaign raised $300,000 in just four months. Donations, large and small, came in from individuals, grants and companies. Local corporate donors were Ames Performance, More Than A Thrift Store, Pat Rawson Construction, Infinity Cleaning, Wilcox Tree, Green Mountain Bovine, Guyette Fire Protection, Howard's Leather, Over the River Day Spa, and Toadstool Bookstore. Thank you to all the Stone House Tavern Museum donors!
In addition, the NH Charitable Foundation awarded CHS a grant for electronic equipment to be used in the operation of the future Stone House Tavern Museum.
James Gavin, a renowned architectural historian and preservationist, completed a study in 2019 that documented the unique and remarkable features of the Stone House Tavern. This special report titled "Report on the Pierce Tavern" can be read at the CHS building. Although this project is and will continue to be a challenge, this report outlines the history and significance of the building. See Unique Features
In December 2019, CHS received a second LCHIP Grant for $95,000 to be used to fund Phase I construction. The goal of this phase was to secure the building from the elements. In March 2020, as construction bids were being sought, COVID began. In spite of the pandemic, the project team pushed forward, and Phase 1 was completed in two-year time frame designated by LCHIP. During this phase, the chimneys were replaced with bricks/mortar appropriate for the time period, the slate roof was repaired, the stonework repointed and repaired as needed, the exterior doors/windows were restored and repainted, new basement stairs were constructed, and two basement windows were replaced. In the spring of 2021, the wooden gables and exterior trim were repaired and painted. It was a long journey. The Phase 1 final report was submitted and accepted by LCHIP in October 2021.
More grant applications were submitted to support Phase 2 construction in 2021. Phase 2 is currently in operation. It will continue historic preservation/reconstruction of the building’s interior and will include mandated modernization required by building and fire codes to open the museum to the public. A second egress for the upstairs apartment and the second floor of the future museum will be constructed. Charles Michal has developed the architectural plans framework and Ingram Construction is the general contractor.
The Putnam Foundation awarded CHS a $20,000 grant towards the construction of this egress, and More Than a Thrift Store awarded a $500 grant for the Phase 2 construction.
In the meantime, the longtime renters of the ell apartments in the ell vacated, one in May 2020 and the second in June 2021. Remodeling the first-floor apartment in the summer of 2020 allowed CHS to reclaim the beehive oven, formerly in that apartment. In the fall of 2021, the second-floor apartment was painted and reconfigured into a one-bedroom. The new layout allowed for the former second bedroom to be converted into a storage space dedicated solely to the museum. None of this could have been accomplished without the help of Vince Cummings, electrician Gary Winn, Val and Jon Starbuck, Ken Walton, Pam Durkin, Kay Kloppenburg, Jeff Scott and board volunteers.
What was originally described in the Historic Structure Report as a two-phase project is, due to escalating construction costs, now a three-phase project. Phase 3 will bring the building up to ADA code and include a French drain to suppress basement water seepage.
October 18, 2022 Update
Since the initial cost of Phase 2 of the Stone House Project was estimated, prices for materials and labor have soared, and the availability of contractors’ estimates has declined. CHS is so pleased that Ingram Construction is the general contractor for Phase 2 and that Charles Michal remains as our architect! Construction that was to begin in May did not commence until August, but it is hopeful that the porch renovation and emergency second-floor egress will be completed this winter (except for the painting of the porch). The cost increases required the CHS Board to appropriate an additional $115,554. for the project.
Because of construction intrusion into the first-floor apartment, CHS had to ask the apt. 1 tenants to vacate as of Sept 1. Val Starbuck facilitated the transition to their new home by sourcing apartments and providing boxes for packing, for which they were extremely grateful. The apartment’s entrance is being moved from the ell’s west side to the porch, and other needed carpentry/support needs inside the apartment are also being addressed. Hopefully a new tenant will be living there by November 15, possibly before.
CHS received the final payment for the 2019 Land and Community Heritage Program (LCHIP) grant in February. A required 10-year Stewardship Plan was signed with LCHIP and recorded with the State on February 14. For the next decade CHS is obligated to maintain the upkeep of the Stone House and submit a yearly report.
Another LCHIP grant application was submitted in June, but whether CHS will receive the grant will not be known for several more weeks. This year there is less money available and more applications than in the past. If awarded, this matching grant will allow a French drain to be constructed around the Stone House. This drain will mitigate the water seepage problems in the basement.
During the past year (Oct 2021-Oct 2022) several other grants were awarded, and many donations were made to CHS for the benefit of the Stone House Phase 2 construction. Most noted was a major donation from Mrs. Linda Buffett to cover the costs of the emergency egress construction. This gift is so important because, when this emergency stairway is completed, local fire regulations will be met, and the museum will be able to open! A 1772 Society grant of $7,500 (awarded in May) is a matching grant for the structural integrity and restoration of the porch. A Putnam Grant of $20,000 (awarded in January) is being used for Phase 2 construction, as is a $1,000 grant from More Than a Thrift Store (awarded in July).
On Saturday, August 13 a “sneak peek during construction” event was held. The town building inspector allowed small groups lead by docents to be taken throughout the Stone House. Thirty-five CHS members enjoyed a tour that included the basement and the upper floors.
October 2021 the Chesterfield Garden Club prepared a flower garden bed in the backyard. They planted the garden this spring, bringing some from their own gardens and transplanting some already on the grounds. Despite the drought this summer, the garden thrived. They will soon be visiting to put the garden to bed for the winter months and to help with a fall cleanup. Many thanks to these ladies for their efforts.
Another landscaping effort was accomplished this summer into fall. Arborist Rick Pratt was hired to trim our pear tree and apple tree. This was done in June. Rick suggested that other trees be cut down to allow the pear tree to receive more light. Rick took down some, and Ken Walton cut down an additional two trees this fall. Rick will return next March to trim the pear tree an additional six feet at the top. We’re hoping to have pears next fall!
January 2023 Update
We are happy to announce that on December 14, 2022, CHS received an LCHIP matching grant of $44,000 for the Stone House Tavern. These funds will be used to complete the north face’s exterior stone restoration, repair/replace four basement windows, mitigate basement water seepage, and construct an ADA path and ADA doorway entry.
Over 2022, construction continued at the Stone House Tavern. Thanks to a generous donation from Linda Buffett, a Putnam Grant, and a grant from More Than a Thrift Store, an interior second-floor emergency egress is being constructed. Additionally, a 1772 Foundation Grant (through New Hampshire Preservation Alliance) has enabled exterior and structural integrity restoration to be done on the porch. It will be painted this spring. Once these tasks are completed, the museum will have met fire and safety codes needed to open.
December 2023 Update for Stone House and CHS
Two thousand and twenty-three was an up and down year for the Stone House Tavern restoration/construction and for the Chesterfield Historical Society Historical Society (CHS). Projects moved slowly and costs were higher than original estimates. Restoration of the Stone House Tavern and the apartments continued none the less, and needs at the CHS building were addressed. The historical society members who contributed truly made a difference.
CHS again received a $1000 grant from More Than a Thrift Store for Stone House renovation, and funds from the 1772 Foundation (through NH Preservation) and Land & Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) grants were received to cover costs. For the next nine years CHS is obligated to LCHIP to maintain the upkeep of the Stone House Tavern and ell, and also complete a yearly stewardship report. The second of these reports was submitted this summer.
At the CHS building, the slate roof was repaired, deteriorating windows were replaced, and the heating system and air conditioners were found to be faltering. Since the building is owned by the Town of Chesterfield, a warrant to provide funds for mini-split heating and cooling units is being prepared.
- New tenants moved into the first-floor Stone House ell apartment in November. During the two weeks while the apartment was vacant, the plumbing for both apartments was updated. Old pipes were removed, a new vanity was installed in the first-floor apartment bathroom, and all bathroom fixtures (even the shower) were replaced in the second-floor apartment. bathroom. Val and Jon Starbuck worked with Terry Winn to accomplish these updates in record time.
From last spring to the end of 2023, there has been building activity and outside digging at the Stone House. Construction of the emergency second-floor egress involved the removal of two small dormers and a new ell roofline. A steel beam for the roofline was manufactured and installed in April. (This was supposed to have occurred in October 2022. The company that was originally responsible for the beam folded. Ingram Construction found another manufacturer and saved the day.) The new metal roofing was matched for color and installed, and lead flashing placed. On the east side, the concrete exit of the emergency egress was poured, and a new bulkhead installed. A perimeter drainage system to mitigate the stone basement water seepage was completed, as was restoration of the stonework on the north side of the building. Three of the basement windows (including adjacent stonework) have been replaced.
Inside the Stone House, carpentry, sheetrocking, and painting continued. It included construction of the emergency egress, addressed ADA needs, created storage closets, and configured two new bathrooms (no fixtures as yet). This work will continue through the winter.
Earlier this month the concrete platform for the ADA pathway entrance was poured just ahead of constant freezing, and the elevated pathway itself was formed. With the completion of the egress this winter, the fire and safety codes will be met!
Onward to 2024! Landscaping and painting of the ell will be completed in the spring/early summer.
2024 - Update
After some lengthy delays, construction was completed in late 2024. This included an egress from the second floor, two bathrooms (staff and ADA), an ADA entrance, drainage remediation, porch restoration, stone wall repair, and general landscaping. Pictures of these accomplishments along with pictorial chronology of all the improvements can be found on the Stone House Tavern Museum Project Chronicled in Pictures.
The construction couldn’t have happened without the grant writing of Pam Walton and Val Starbuck, and the due diligence of following all the rules after the money is awarded. The construction expertise and work ethic of Jon and Val Starbuck were instrumental in assessing needs, making decisions, and completing tasks. They spearheaded the completion of the drainage remediation and undertook the general landscaping with little additional assistance.
The establishment of the Stone House Tavern Museum Committee (SHTMC) was a major step forward. Val Starbuck was elected Chairperson. Other members appointed by CHS include Darlene Dunn, Robert Jaskolski, Ken Walton, and CHS Board members, Nick Goulas, Tina Ramsey, and Bob Tortolani. The Committee is tasked with stewardship of the Museum and property and fulfilling the long-awaited dream of opening the Museum. Look forward to it happening in the summer of 2025!
The following people and companies have been supportive with their services:
CHS would like to thank Revo Casino and Social House for facilitating funding that supported the Stone House Tavern Museum (SHTM) Project in 2023 and 2024. Future funding from charitable gaming will be used for Stewardship of the SHTM. After several years of exterior and interior restoration, the Museum is finally scheduled to open the summer of 2025!
Renovations & Construction
Bob Bonneau (Spofford) – restored exterior doors
Catamount Environmental (Wilmington, VT) – asbestos inspections
Carbone’s Window & Awning (Keene) – windowpane replacement
Bob Furlone – retired general contractor – 200 hours of pro bono work on Phase 1
Hampshire Fire Prevention (Swanzey) - Fire Extinguishers Inspection
Homestead Builders (W. Chesterfield) – beam integrity, basement stairs & exterior wood trim
Infinity Cleaning (Brattleboro, VT) – window washing
Ingram Construction (Westmoreland) – general Contractor for Phase 2 & 3
NHDOT - tree removal and street drainage curtain
Rosinski Masonry (Brattleboro, VT) Glenn Rosinski – stonework and chimneys
Melanson Company (Keene) – slate roof restoration
Charles Michal of Weller & Michal Architects Inc. (Harrisville, NH) – HSR and architectural plans
Todd Faulkner Driveway Repair & Trees LLC - (Nelson, NH) Excavation - water remediation
S&S Painting & Decorating (Swanzey) – painted windows and gables
Jon & Val Starbuck – construction expertise, and labor
Wilcox Tree (Westmoreland) tree removal
Winn Electric, LLC (Chesterfield) Gary Winn – electrical work
Property Management
Vince Cummings – property management 2018 - 2021
Ericson Homes & Properties (Chesterfield) – snow plowing & property management 2022 - 25
Lesser’s 4 Season Services (Keene) – snowplowing 2018 - 2020
Wal Gar Lawn Service, Inc. (Swanzey) Gary Davis – yard work and mowing
Grant Writing
Naomi Lee – feasibility report and grant writing
Val Starbuck – grant writing
Carmen Trafton – grant writing
Pam Walton – summary reports, grant writing
Jack of All Trades
Chesterfield Historical Society Board & Friends – you name it, they did it
Plus, the numerous volunteers that participated in this ongoing project.
