GLOCESTER – The historic home sitting at 1272 Putnam Pike is rapidly disappearing. It is not being demolished per se, however.
Rather former New England Patriots player Matt Light is slowly dismantling it in order to make use of its timbers and frame for teaching purposes, as part of his non-profit Light Foundation which offers a timber frame program, teaching how post and beam structures are constructed from start to finish. The mission of the Foundation, based in Ohio, is to take young people out of their everyday environments and provide them with unique opportunities that ignite their passion, purpose, and motivation to succeed.
What was left as of this week was a basic frame, exposing timber framing, rough sawn siding and other original elements.
Town Council President William Worthy volunteered to help with the dismantling in order to learn about the structure.
“There were original nails, pegs, and these rafters which were hand cut perfectly to fit the main beam of the roof,” Worthy said. “I learned a lot.”
Worthy pointed out that the beams were in excellent shape, and that Light had labelled every piece in order to reconstruct the home at another site, which will be somewhere in Glocester.
“It is in fine condition,” said Worthy. “It will be relocated in Glocester. I can confirm that.”
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 and a half 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.
Light said he saw that the building was slated for demolition and decided to look into it. After examining the structure with Department of Public Works Director Gary Treml, along with Councilor Walter Steere, Light said he came to the conclusion that there were parts worth salvaging.
Steere, whose ancestors once lived in the house for a period, 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 It cited walls out of plumb, sagging floors, poor structural integrity, outdated electrical and plumbing, floor joists in poor condition, sagging roofs, holes in walls and numerous other deficiencies. Treml said that both the septic and well had to be replaced, as well.
Light suggested that the structure dated back to the late 1700s, early 1800s.
Light’s Timber Frame Program introduces high school age youngsters to the age-old craft of timber frame construction, according to their website. Under the guidance of professionals and adult mentors, students turn standing trees into a complete building frame in just three days. Instructors guide students through the safe use of hand and power tools, and through the process of translating drawings into a three-dimensional structure. The hands-on setting requires students to work collaboratively with one another, and through specialized skill development, campers gain a personal sense of achievement and mastery that they can carry with them into other aspects of their life.
Light was an offensive tackle for the New England Patriots before retiring in 2012.
Thanks for taking pictures. I wanted to but forgot!