Historic home in Glocester could be saved from the wrecking ball

GLOCESTER – The historic home located at 1272 Putnam Pike may yet be saved from demolition. At the recent Glocester Town Council meeting, Sarah and Magno Rivera offered to review the 1800s house and determine approximate costs for renovation. Matthew is a contractor. His wife Sarah is a realtor.

“Can it be saved? Any house can be saved,” Sarah Rivera later told NRI NOW after visiting the site. “It depends on how much you want to spend.”

“All along we’ve been looking for someone to take a look at this property to see if we can save it,” said Councilor Walter Steere.

Steere, whose ancestors once lived in the house in question, previously read a long list of detractions delineated by the Rhode Island Housing Authority when they investigated the building for possible use as low income housing. It included citing walls out of plumb, sagging floors, poor structural integrity, outdated electrical and plumbing, floor joists in poor condition, sagging roofs, holes in walls and numerous other deficiencies. Department of Public Works Director Gary Treml added that both the septic and well would have to be replaced as well.

The building, which sits on 10 acres of town property, dates back to the 1800s and is described in the 1980 Rhode Island Historic Preservation Commission’s report as a “1 ½ story late Victorian structure with a small, brick chimney, a central entry in a five bay façade with gabled dormers and a late Victorian porch.” Since the early 1900s, however, the structure has been occupied by numerous tenants and owners, and has deteriorated over the years as a result.

Steere explained that RI Housing Authority recommended demolition.

“Their recommendation was to tear it down and start over,” he said. “But, that’s not our goal here.”

When the Riveras offered to assess the property, the council agreed to arrange for them to get a guided tour with Treml. That would be the first step, and following that their recommendation and potential costs would be presented to the council. The council then would have to decide whether to sell the property, or pay for its renovation. If it is to be sold for renovation, bids would have to be received and a determination made as to how much land, currently owned by the town, would go with the building.

“I know that somebody would be interested in it,” said Sarah Rivera. “We would help you find the right person.”

Rivera explained that they do interior remodeling, construction and pretty much everything needed to renovate homes – including historic buildings.

“We’ve tackled a couple of historical buildings,” she said. “They are not our main wheelhouse, but we have done them before. We’ve done a little bit of everything. If we don’t know how to fix it, we know the person who will help us.”

She added that she was aware the building was in the Chepachet Historic District, and that they would work with the district to ensure any renovations would be appropriate.

Council President William Worthy offered to accompany them also to get a firsthand look at the inside.

“It’s scary in there,” responded Council Vice President Stephen Arnold.

Previously, the council posted a search on the town website for anyone with ideas or interest in possibly saving the building.

“We’re all open to that,” Arnold said. “We’re open to creative ideas. There’s a million different ways this could go, but it’s exciting to have somebody say, ‘I might have an idea,’ because we have been seeking them.”

After assessing the property, Sarah Rivera told NRI NOW there was much to consider.

“We’re just kind of gathering information right now and trying to decide what the most important parts of the structure to save would be and go from there,” she explained.

The roof, she said, was in decent shape. Some of the interior had been exposed to the elements, so there is some mold involved and other issues. The foundation needs work as well.

“The structure itself seems fairly sound,” Rivera said. “It’s just a matter of how much it is going to cost.”

The foundation, she said, is the biggest issue.

“The foundation can be the roughest part,” said Rivera. “It’s going to need some intense work and a little bit of thought, but the rest of the building with the foundation is salvageable.”

She explained that they are in the process of breaking the renovation estimates into parts, including exterior, interior and various other sections of the building itself, including the foundation. She estimated the foundation alone would cost a little over $50,000.

“When it comes to somebody’s tax dollars, it’s hard to get them to spend something to save an old building, but if the town wants to consider a couple of different options, at least we can give them some ideas of how much it would cost,” said Rivera. “We would be interested if we could make a deal where either we purchase just the building or purchase part of the property. Right now, we’re still in the investigation phase and still getting things together so that everybody has the knowledge they need to make the right decision.”