McCann Students Repair Clarksburg Town Hall Facade
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — McCann Technical School students are giving Town Hall a facelift using donated funds.
With tighter budgets through the years, Town Administrator Carl McKinney said it has been hard to keep up with the aging and deteriorating building that was constructed in the 1930s as the Briggsville School.
"We were looking at Town Hall and its many needs," McKinney said. "It is a solid structure, well built but it has had a level of neglect and it really needed some attention."
McKinney said about 15 months ago, with the blessing of the Select Board, he started a fundraising campaign and was able to raise $3,200.
"Citizens of the town of Clarksburg donated as well as the Adams Community Bank, and the town put up some money," McKinney said. "If it wasn't for the generosity of the community, we would not be doing this because the budget is where it is."
McKinney said he was in contact with the McCann carpentry program to see if it was interested in doing the work. McCann students three years ago put a new roof on the Police Department's one-car garage and last year built an oak case for the some of the town's historic pieces, including its scale.
The department was busy with other projects last spring but kept Clarksburg Town Hall on the radar for the fall.
McCann teacher Fran Kruzel said projects like the Town Hall are great learning experiences for the students.
"It’s great to get them out on a job," Kruzel said. "It really is the best learning experience."
McKinney said the main focus of the project is the building's façade. He said the town purchased grey vinyl siding that he hopes will be long lasting.
The front will also receive a new coat of paint where necessary.
One of the main drivers behind the project was to provide a better backdrop for the Clarksburg Veterans Honor Roll, McKinney said. The honor roll is installed on the front of the building.
"We wanted to create a respectful and appropriate memorial that was long lasting and historically appropriate," he said.
The town plans to hold a rededication ceremony on Veterans Day.
McKinney said the project also addressed some energy efficiency problems in the building with the addition of a house wrap underneath the building and the sealing and insulating of some upper-level windows that were unusable.
He expects work to wrap up soon.
Tags: carpentry, facade changes, McCann, town hall,
