Restoration and Rehabilitation

Working with historians, architects, and conservation professionals, and within the guidelines for historic preservation set forth by the Secretary of the Interior and the Massachusetts Historic Commission, the Thoreau Farm Trust has developed the following objectives for the restoration and rehabilitation of the house:

• Restoration treatment of the house's exterior based on its appearance during the first two decades after it was moved to its present location (1878 to circa 1900) for which we have excellent photographic evidence
  
  
• Restore Thoreau's birth room to its 1817 appearance
  
  
• Restore significant architectural features. Of particular note are the lobby entrance, the three-run staircase with 18th-century detailing, sections of early paint treatment, and the presence of a quirk-beaded, chamfered frame in the west chamber on the second floor
  
  
• Rehabilitate the rest of the interior in a way that preserves the extant 18th-century elements while adding modern conveniences. Office spaces, a meeting room, a new rear entrance, and a restroom will be code compliant
  
  
• Integrate energy-efficient building materials into the design
  
  
• Document the restoration/rehabilitation. These documents are part of the house's history and will be donated to the Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library. It is our hope that the "green" aspect of the project will serve as a model and inspiration for both historic and modern structures

At the present time, the house is in very poor condition. However, investigations by our historic architect and historic materials conservator reveal that the house retains many of its early 18th-century elements as well as later Federal and Georgian renovations. Photographs of the house after its move in 1878 provide strong evidence of what the exterior looked like.

Making it Green

In his writings, Thoreau advocates for the preservation of open spaces and the conservation of natural resources. Many consider him this country's first environmentalist.

Working with Concord's Green Team, a group of volunteer citizens with expertise in sustainable building and other environmental practices, the Trust plans to use Thoreau's birth house to bring his conservation legacy into the future by incorporating modern technology and sustainable energy elements into the design where appropriate while preserving the existing historic fabric of the house.

The Trust intends to apply an integrated design approach using LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) guidelines in order to ensure the optimal use of energy, water, and building materials. The team will also consider renewable heating and cooling strategies, innovative approaches to insulating the building, composting and grey water systems, and photovoltaic technologies in their work.

The fact that the environmentally friendly features flows directly from the historic importance of the house creates a seamless connection between the past and the present and offers a perfect opportunity to educate about the future. As part of its educational mission, the Trust will use the house itself to teach visitors about sustainable design and zero-energy buildings. Examples include comparing the 18th century wood-burning fireplaces to solar energy collecting technologies; comparing restored single-glazed windows to new air-tight insulating glass units; and using instrumentation to show how much energy is captured and stored versus how much is consumed by the house each month.

The restoration and rehabilitation of the house will be carefully documented, and these materials will be donated to the Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library. It is our goal to promote the green aspect of the project as a model and inspiration for both historic and modern structures.

Read more about our project and view photos of the house as it was and is today.

Thoreau Farm Trust • PO Box 454 • Concord, MA 01742 • Tel. 978.369.3091 •