Site Inspections Give "Thumbs Up”

The masons have been hard at work and were paid a visit today by Martin Anderson, Project Manager for Joseph Gnazzo, and Jillian Borghardt of Structures North Consulting Engineers. The workers have been chiseling out dried, crumbling mortar and pressure-washing all of the joints. We were all heartened to find that some intact mortar remained; there were no places where the mortar had disintegrated all the way through to the interior. Nonetheless there is a significant amount of new pointing required.
The masons prepared several color samples of the mortar to be used, and will await for them to set and dry in order to select the sample that best matches that used in other parts of the building.

A Chilly Kick-Off for Phase 4

After a full week of assembly, the bell tower scaffolding is up and ready to climb! Joseph Gnazzo persisted through through rain, dreary days and gusting winds to erect this impressive multi-story structure for their work on the west face. The ground level has a plywood “room”built around the base for security and safety, and is padlocked after working hours. The green scrim above serves as a wind breaker and sun shield. Work is ready to commence.

Contract Awarded for Phase 4

UUCW received bids from two masonry firms for our proposed Phase 4 repairs. After consultation with Structures North Consulting Engineers and the Massachusetts Historical Commission, we awarded the contract to Joseph Gnazzo Company Inc., of Union, CT as the lowest qualified bidder. Gnazzo is well acquainted with our Set in Stone campaign as they have conducted excellent work for Phases 1 and 2 in 2019-2021.

Phase 4 will focus in the West side of the bell tower (facing Pleasant Street). The masons will have their work cut out for them: below is a close-up of some of the open mortar joints that are in dire need of attention. Work will begin in Spring 2025 and will be signaled by the arrival of the now-familiar scaffolding.

Accepting Bids for Phase 4

Representatives from three masonry firms attended our pre-bid meeting on October 22 for a close-up look at the masonry work outlined for our Phase 4 building repairs. Several other firms have expressed interest and plan to submit bids. Overall, we expect a reasonable number of bids to be submitted by the November 8 deadline. This will allow us an opportunity to choose the most qualified mason at the lowest bid price, with work to begin in Spring 2025.

Invitation to Bid Posted for Phase 4

Legal ads for our Phase 4 masonry repairs were published today in the Gardner News, the Worcester Telegram and the Winchendon Courier. The official ad reads as follows:
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Winchendon, a.k.a. The Church of the Unity, 126 Central Street, Winchendon, MA, requests bids for masonry repairs to their 1866 granite building which is listed in the State Register of Historic Places, and in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Winchendon Village Historic District.
The project is being partially funded with a grant from the Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund through the Massachusetts Historical Commission. All work must be performed in accordance with the documents prepared by Structures North Consulting Engineers, Inc., 60 Washington Street, Salem, MA (Telephone 978-745-6817) and meet the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. State law prohibits discrimination. Awarding of this contract is subject to Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity guidelines. A copy of bidding documents may be obtained by writing or telephoning the architect at the above address.
A pre-bid meeting will be held at the church on October 22, 2024 at 11:00 am.
Bids shall be evaluated on the basis of price, previous experience with similar types of construction projects, ability to perform the work in a timely manner, and references. All bids must be delivered to the architect’s office at the above address prior to 12:00 noon November 8, 2024 to be eligible for consideration and all of the grant-funded work must be completed by June 30, 2025.

Phase 4 Kicks Off With Site Visit

We are entering into now-familiar territory with our third Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund (MPPF) grant award from the Massachusetts Historical Commission. First up on the schedule was a mandatory orientation session for grantees which Jill Sackett attended on July 11. This was quickly followed with a site visit from Paul Holtz of the MHC and Jillian Borghardt of Structures North Consulting Engineers on July 15.
Paul and Jillian spent a good deal of time evaluating the target areas for our Phase 4 repairs. They examined the exterior walls and even climbed our ladders inside the bell tower to examine the backsides of those walls. Both professionals confirmed that we should be focusing on the top half of the west-facing wall of the bell tower as next in line for the most urgent repairs. This wall has many areas of missing mortar (see below). The plan builds in additional repair options if funding allows. We will see how much work we can budget once the bidding process gets underway.

Set in Stone Phase 4 Receives Full Funding

Last March, we applied to the Massachusetts Historical Commission for a Round 30 Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund (MPPF) grant and patiently waited.... The wait is over, and we are thrilled to announce that we have received a $50,000 MPPF grant for Phase 4 repairs.
This is the third MPPF grant we have received for this critical restoration work. We also received $50,000 during the Round 26 MPPF grant cycle in 2020 and the Round 28 MPPF grant cycle in 2022. This Round 30 grant, coupled with a matching grant received from the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation, gives us sufficient funds to proceed apace with Phase 4. As planned, we will be focusing on the West face of the bell tower.
The MPPF grant schedule will see us meeting with our architect and masons, collecting bids, and awarding a contract to be executed in Spring 2025.