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Windsor Historical Commission Restoring Old ChapelBy Noah Hoffenberg
iBerkshires Correspondent
11:00PM / Sunday, May 24, 2009
WINDSOR, Mass. — The Historical Commission is seeking bids for repairs to the East Windsor Chapel, which is on track to be brought back to life in 2011, 100 years after it was built.
Originally occupied by an offshoot of the Windsor Congregational Church, the chapel had fallen into disrepair, said Deborah Balmuth, Historical Commission chairman.
Balmuth said the repair of the town-owned chapel, some of which has been done, is top priority for the commission for the coming year.
"One thing about Windsor, there's been a lot of focus on land. There's been a lot of wonderful land that's been preserved, but we haven't put as much focus on preserving the buildings, and here's a real opportunity to preserve a real little treasure in a part of town that's sometimes forgotten," said Balmuth.
The chapel is located on Old Route 9 on a very small parcel along a high bank of the Westfield Brook, right near the Cummington line. It was last used as a church in the 1960s, said Balmuth, by a group active in the 1950s and '60s.
Photos by Noah Hoffenberg
The old East Windsor Chapel has been vacant for decades. The Historical Commission is hoping to get it in shape in time for its 100th anniversary. |
"There was a fairly large community in East Windsor at one time. They had their own general store down there, a blacksmith's shop, there was actually a hotel there, the Jordon Hotel. There was a whole neighborhood down there."
When Balmuth moved to Windsor in the early 1990s, she lived next door to the building. At the chapel were poetry readings, and even some services held jointly between the Windsor Congregational Church and the West Cummington Church.
"East Windsor is a community that's right there on the Cummington-Windsor line. [The chapel] was a coming together point for the West Cummington and Windsor communities," said Balmuth. "It's a really nice little space, for its wonderful acoustics."
The chapel has wood floors, original wainscoting and large, clear windows.
"It really doesn't feel like a church so much. It's a really nice meeting space. It's got big, big, beautiful, wide windows. The size is just right for creating a feeling of intimacy, for concerts and readings,” said Balmuth.
Balmuth said the commission has done a fair number of repairs already, including strengthening the foundation, as well as some painting and roof work. The lion's share of what's left is a "significant amount of interior finishing work."
About $5,000 has been put into the chapel over the past few years for renovations, but the building isn't wired for electricity and has no plumbing. When they've needed power during work periods, the next-door neighbors have run in an extension cord.
The Historical Commission is totally self-funded, with no financial support from the town. Fundraisers have been ongoing, said Balmuth, with an annual pie sale in the fall. A local woman, Bernice Mongue Filkins of Dalton, who was a church member there during the '60s, recently donated some money to help with the interior work. Filkins formerly lived in East Windsor, said Balmuth. Further, the property was donated by the Mongue family.
Another $2,000 is still needed to complete the work, and Balmuth said she hopes to have to work parties over the summer.
For information regarding the bids, call Peter Menard at 413-684-3882; to make a donation or to volunteer, contact Balmuth at 413-684-4535 or deborah.balmuth@storey.com.
Contact Noah Hoffenberg at hoff1013@gmail.com. |
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