Edward Marks advisory committee asks Select Board to extend its charter and seek CPC funds for exterior restoration

The Select Board received an extensive update from the Edward Marks Building Advisory Committee on plans to restore the town‑owned former poorhouse’s exterior and preserve its historic fabric.

Barbara Weyand, committee chair, traced the building’s history and explained preservation-restriction requirements tied to state historic funding. She said prior interior work enabled the town to house health and human services functions there, but municipal ownership limits eligibility for many foundation grants, leaving CPC and Massachusetts Historical Commission funding as the main available options. Weyand asked the Select Board to extend the committee’s charter so it can complete bidding documents, go out to bid and apply for CPC funds before the August deadline. “The Falmouth poorhouse is the last poor house in the state of Massachusetts that is municipally owned,” Weyand said during her presentation.

Committee members described hiring DHK (architects) for project management, identifying phases that cover roughly two‑thirds to three‑quarters of anticipated work in initial bids, and pursuing specifications and bid-ready documents this spring to preserve eligibility for CPC funds. Board members asked whether title transfer to a nonprofit had been explored; Weyand said the town had considered it years earlier but municipal needs kept the property in public use.

Next steps: the committee will seek a future Select Board agenda item to request an extension of its charter and to present CPC application materials if the board supports moving forward.