The plan to save Oakhurst Manor
Call for community assistance continues
In the week since our fire, in addition to community assistance for our displaced and affected residents, we have been working tirelessly to protect and preserve Oakhurst Manor. We have learned a lot, consulted many experts, and now have a thorough plan to cover the exposed upper floors. This will enable the landmark Victorian-era architecture and irreplaceable woodwork on the lower floors to be preserved.
Per our previous statement, we are not receiving any insurance money to assist with these efforts. We have been scraping together what we can afford ourselves, and receiving donated and volunteer labor, materials, and funds. To date, our fundraising efforts have yielded 6% of our $150,000 fundraising goal.
If you are motivated to help preserve this historic property, we invite you to please review our plan below, and contribute either materials, labor, funds, advice, or by spreading the word.
The plan
Thanks to insight from our own first week of effort, and input from knowledgeable neighbors, we believe we can save most of Oakhurst Manor if we can come up with the money, materials, and labor soon enough.
Stage one
Timeline: ASAP. Purpose: Mostly stop the decay of the building.
Cut off almost the entire remaining attic and most of the third floor, leaving a flat (hardwood) roof over most of the building.
Tarp that “flat roof” so most water will be diverted off the side of the building. Efforts to tarp the current structure have met with very limited and temporary success, while flat tarps on solid surfaces should work for at least months.
Dry under those tarps as weather permits.
Empty the building of non-waterproof items, such as furniture. This will require a place to put them, such as shipping containers or temporary buildings.
Hang tarps inside the interior rooms to catch any water drips, with a hose attached to drain outside. Hang them high, so we can continue drying and other repair efforts below.
Install fans to maximize airflow. This step requires power, which we’re pursuing a few different ways.
Schedule spraying mold control products. This step requires ongoing effort.
Demolish every plaster surface, bringing the interior down to studs and hardwood features.
Stage two
Timeline: Before next winter. Purpose: Fully stop the decay of the building
Repair or replace all broken windows. The airflow is good for drying until well after Stage One, but we eventually need them to close to keep out animals and weather.
Remove debris from Stage One. One of our mistakes so far has been to spend money and time on debris removal too early in the process.
Restore utilities. We currently have water. Gas should be relatively easy, just to the kitchen although it may be time to replace the oil heat appliances as well. Electricity will be the most difficult and we’re looking into that.
Build a new roof. No interior construction, just giant trusses and one ridiculously large attic.
Stage three
Timeline: Not time sensitive. Purpose: Bring the manor back to life.
Update electrical and plumbing while the walls are open.
Replace removed plaster with drywall in most places. Some recovered wooden elements from the third floor and attic can also be used to improve first and second floor decor. Also more tile than not in the bathrooms and kitchens, again with some recovered from upper floors.
How you can help
Please note that our 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, Playable Theatre Inc, can provide tax-deductible receipts for donations of materials, labor, and money toward this cause.
We need materials
Some are cheap and commonplace, such as garden hoses and room-sized tarps, especially in Stage One. Some are not, such as for the new roof. Some is also not obvious; in addition to construction materials we also need consumables such as respirators, tool blades, etc.
Donate or loan your own materials or tools
Purchase new materials or tools (We will be updating this article to add a link to a gift registry for materials. Stay tuned.)
Spread the word to companies (like hardware stores, construction equipment suppliers, etc) on our behalf asking if they would consider making a tax-deductible material-goods donation.
Point out discounts or other programs we could use to save money on these items.
We need labor
Some is relatively simple, such as spraying for mold and tearing down plaster. Some is not, such as larger demolition and most construction. Some can be done in chunks of just a few minutes, while most works better done hours at a time.
Donate labor - we mostly need people willing to take on the risks of entering the manor, and to either sign this waiver or carry insurance (such as through an employer donating their paid labor). There is also some need for labor outside, such as organizing removed furniture and belongings.
Spread the word to companies and organizations (like general contracting businesses, Burners Without Borders, etc) on our behalf asking if they would consider making a tax-deductible donation of free or discounted skilled labor.
Point out discounts or other programs we could use to save money on labor
We need financial assistance
To raise funds for Stage One and part of Stage Two, Sparr is negotiating to sell most of the forested land attached to the estate. This will be the end of one of the largest pieces of green space still near downtown Whitinsville. If you share our desire to avoid that outcome, below are some additional ways you can help.
Tax-deductible cash donations can be made at: ko-fi.com/est8ofmind
Spread the word to interested individuals and organizations (neighbors, historians/librarians/archivists, the media, members of local online groups and forums) who may be able to help.
Preservation-assistance contact
Sparr (who will likely be up on the roof working at the time you reach out), will check messages at:
1-234-888-EST8 (ext. 4 to leave a voicemail)
The importance of saving this historic property
We have always been dedicated to the preservation of this historically-significant property, and Oakhurst Manor needs help now more than ever.
“Gilded Age mansions have always had a certain undeniable mystique about them” wrote Karen Stokke of Preservation Mass in this 2019 article, “She’s beautiful, mysterious…and there is not another in the world quite like her. Such is the case with the historic … Manor at 120 Hill Street in Whitinsville, MA. Built in 1890 for Charles Whitin Lasell, president of Whitin Machine Works, this 43-room mansion and sprawling woodland estate brings the best of Downton-Abbey-esque elegance to modern times. But even more captivating than its surface grandeur and period details is the true gold beneath the glitter: the rich stories the mansion has to tell of the lives it has witnessed and shaped.”
Ken Warchol, chairman and 45-year member of the Northbridge Historical Commission, spoke of the manor's historical significance in an interview with the Worcester Telegram & Gazette on the morning of the fire. "It saddens me," said Warchol, adding, "It's the most magnificent mansion that's ever been built in town."
Oakhurst Manor is also meaningful to the survivors of clergy abuse that took place here in the 1970s, when it was operated by Diocese of Worcester as the House of Affirmation. One of those survivors is Skip Shea, an outspoken advocate for justice for survivors of abuse. He has used Oakhurst Manor for personal healing, filming, and to host charitable activism and awareness events in the interest of changing laws such as Massachusetts' charitable immunity cap which limits the amount the church can be sued and makes it hard for survivors to get legal representation.
The present (and at-times controversial) owner Sparr Risher used Oakhurst Manor to house a non-profit DIY arts collective and pay-what-you-can arts & events venue. Whatever your views are of the individuals here or the mission of our organization, now is the time to put our differences aside and work together to save something larger than ourselves.
Whether that’s by donating to help preserve Oakhurst manor, or donating directly to the residents affected by this tragedy, we thank you in advance for your support.
 | A guest post by
|