Andrea Salisbury – TRANSCRIPT BULLETIN
The large mansion on Day Street that once was home to a photographer and now holds the history of Norwood is undergoing much-needed repairs.
“There was a lot of water damage and rot and none of it had gotten inside yet, but it was only a matter of time,” Allison Priore said on a sunny Monday afternoon. The contractor, Phil O’Callaghan, who works with O’Hanlon Construction of Norwood, climbed a ladder on the far side of the house to work on weatherizing the structure. “We call it the exterior weatherization project. It is phase one of our goals this year.”
The second phase is repairing the portico roof. The portico, a roof structure over a walkway, will be redone in “period appropriate copper.”
Repairs to the historic home are funded through donations.
Twenty six thousand dollars has been raised this year in donations to the Norwood Historical Society. Priore explained the breakdown, the Norwood Neighbors Committee donated $15,000, Ernie Boch Jr. donated $5,000, Dedham Institution for Savings also donated $5,000, and David Spiegel provided $1,000 toward the project. The society has applied for a grant match through the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
The first phase cost $10,000, leaving $16,000 for the roof. Priore said that amount isn’t enough.
“It is supposed to cost S25,000. So we are about $9,000 or $10,000 short,” the chairwoman of the historical society’s renovation committee said. “If we get the grant it will cover the cost.”
The society will hear about the grant in mid-June.
“We can’t sit idly by and hope,” she said. “Our goal of the historical society is to not only fix (the house) because it is a structural issue, but because we are trying to give the town a sense of pride. We want to get the community involved in local history.”
The house was built in 1859 by Lewis Day. His son, Fred Holland Day, a photographer, publisher, historian and philanthropist, lived in the house until his death in 1933, according to the historical society weebsite. Fred Holland Day gutted his family home and had it renovated from 1891-1893, using a mix of Victorian and Arts and Crafts-influenced architecture.
Nestled in a neighborhood, the historic F. Holland Day House, at 93 Day St., is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as the headquarters for the nonprofit Norwood Historical Society.
“The Day House belongs to the whole community,” she said. ‘We are here to let people know it is here for them to use and enjoy.”
Dedham Institution for Savings trustee Jerry Lavoie said the bank has done a few donations to the Day House over the years.
“History is the fabric of the community,” he said standing outside the Day house. He said the bank through its foundation works to make a difference in the communities it serves. “Part of that is preserving the history, the culture and the fabric of the community. This is all part of it.”
Debbie Holnwvood, president of the Nonvood Neighbors Committee, said the committee’s donation was accumulated through its annual house tours.
“Everyone asks on the tours, ‘Where does the money go,”’ Holmood said and explained that it was going toward paying bills on the house. Now, it is going to the physical repairs.
To donate to the historical society and its projects visit its website at norwoodhistoricalsociety.org.
(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)
