Framingham History Center seeks CPC funding for Edgell Memorial Library wood restoration and Academy fire-alarm upgrade

The Framingham History Center asked the Community Preservation Committee on Feb. 24 for funding to restore historic woodwork at the Edgell Memorial Library and to upgrade the Academy building’s fire alarm to an addressable, externally monitored system, citing the buildings’ collection of irreplaceable archives and the need for public accessibility.

"This project focuses on restoring the woodwork in what is currently the executive director's office, the paneling in the foyer, and the historic exterior doors," said Donna, a representative of the Framingham History Center. She described cracking, gouging and deteriorating wood finishes and said the center prefers restoration where possible, in line with preservation standards.

The library woodwork request totaled $35,000 on the application materials presented: roughly $28,000 for construction (refinishing, minimal replacement) and $2,000 for preservation consulting to assess salvageable materials; the applicant separately covered $5,000 in administrative support in kind. Committee members asked the presenter to submit a consolidated budget and to clarify soft-cost items and disposal/testing protocols for older finishes before a vote.

On the Academy building, Donna said approximately 80% of the center’s roughly 25,000 artifacts and archival items are stored at that site. The center requested CPC funds to install a full addressable fire-alarm system with external monitoring to protect the collection when staff are not on site. "We are requesting $89,000 (from CPC) for the fire alarm project," Donna said during the presentation (the presenter and committee later noted a $1,000 arithmetic discrepancy on slides and agreed to submit corrected budget figures).

Committee members asked technical questions about routing wiring in a historic structure, potential casework to conceal devices, and whether sprinklers were feasible; staff said sprinklers are not part of this proposal and that work will include a design assessment because wiring and device locations must respect historic fabric. Several members urged the applicant to break out soft costs and installation assumptions in the next submission and to specify testing and hazardous-paint-disposal steps for lead-containing finishes.

Members praised the center’s expanded public hours and educational programs and acknowledged the urgency of protecting archival materials. The CPC did not vote Feb. 24; the presentation will return for a public hearing with corrected budget breakdowns and supporting documentation.