Lowel's Boat Shop Historic Restoration

1996- 1998  Amesbury, Massachusetts

Lowell’s Boat Shop was built 1793 by Simeon Lowell. Located on the banks of the Merrimack River, is considered to be the birthplace of the legendary New England fishing dory, originated by Simeon Lowell and it is a National Historic Landmark. The stabilization and restoration of Lowell’s Boat Shop preserved a valuable example of our maritime heritage. Historic restoration brings a unique challenge to the design and construction field. Asked to preserve a structure built years ago, with often forgotten construction methods, and not built to comply with the current building code standards, the design team reviewed completely any previous studies and all documentation on the building. Alternative restoration strategies were developed with knowledge of existing conditions, codes and probable construction costs. In particular, the design team looked for the impact of uses and codes on the preservation of the historic nature, intended use, and building fabric of the Boat House. Final recommendations were established that clearly outlined the suggested methods for restoration, effects on the building, and construction costs.

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DATE OF COMPLETION
10.1996
 

SIZE

2,500 GSF
2 Levels
 

CLIENT
Massachusetts Historical Commission
 

ASSOCIATED ARCHITECTS

Gray Architects, Inc. Pierce Architects

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PRESERVATION CONSULTANTS
Finch & Rose
 

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Ocmulgee Structural Engineers
 

MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
Barstow Engineering, Inc.
 

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
Ronald W. Buia, Inc.
 

CONTRACTOR

Steve Langlios

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