Stonehurst and Gore Place seek community preservation grants

After a harsh winter, two Waltham institutions — Gore Place and the Robert Treat Paine Estate (Stonehurst) — are awaiting community preservation grants that will prepare these historic  buildings for the elements and for future generations. Both sites are designated National Historic Landmarks.

At the Conservation Commission’s March 10 meeting, representatives from Gore Place and the Robert Treat Paine Estate presented their plans for the anticipated Community

Preservation Committee funding, aimed at the restoration and long-term maintenance of their structures. 

Stonehurst representatives asked for $850,000 for a variety of essential restoration projects. A large portion of the overall grant funding — $650,000 — will go toward the restoration of the roof at Stonehurst, a project that began in 2017. The mansard portion of the roof, which was deferred due to limited funding, will now be restored with red cedar shingles. 

The project will also include replacement of a 20-by-40-foot brick patio underneath the South Porch; repair of the upstairs fireplaces’ hearth and related damage to the ceiling below; completion of a past project to replace several wood shingle roofs that were not completed during the 2020 construction because of the increase of construction costs during the pandemic; installation of two new boilers; and repair, preparation and re-painting within the building. 

Grant-funded work on both the interior and exterior will reduce the continual threat of water damage and slow deterioration on the original building fabric, according to the CPC application. 

It will be a busy summer at Stonehurst. Construction is expected to begin on the restoration projects in June and be completed in September, according to the application. 

Stonehurst receives 24,000 visitors annually, a number that includes every third grader in Waltham as part of an educational field trip that connects science and history concepts from the classroom to the historic estate. 

Keeping windows in good shape at Gore Place

Gore Place is requesting $20,000 for a survey of the south-facing windows on the mansion, some of which are over 200 years old. The windows are in need of restoration and repair. 

The goal of the survey is to better understand the scope and cost of the overall restoration project for the south facade. The survey will determine the condition of each window and recommend treatment and restoration of the windows. 

The windows on the south side of the mansion face heavy exposure to the sun and weather. While the windows have been historically maintained, they show signs of deterioration, according to the application. Long-term inaction may lead to wood rot and leakage and could risk damaging the structure of the building, according to Gore Place Executive Director Gavin Kleespies.  

The survey is expected to begin once anticipated CPC funding is secured later this spring. Gore Place officials will begin the window restoration project in the spring of 2026.