Townsend, MA (September 28, 2021) – Rollstone Bank & Trust announced today it is supporting the Townsend Historical Society project to repair and preserve the Spaulding Cooperage, a unique building overhanging the Squannacook River, with a $4,000 donation to help fund the project.
Built-in 1790, the Spaulding Cooperage is located at 1 South Street in Townsend, MA and is the site of “Home at the Cooperage” where locals and tourists have the chance to enjoy the handiwork of more than a dozen artisans and crafters.
The project will be a restoration of the building envelope which has naturally aged over the years. The structure will be weatherproofed in a way that retains as much of the original workmanship and building materials as possible, including everything from the wooden clapboards to the nails and the brick of the chimney.
“Cantilevered over a river for more than 200 New England winters is not an easy life and each season brings its own challenges to historic structures from downpours to heatwaves, freezing and thawing cycles, wood expanding and contracting,” said Taber Morell, Site Administrator for the project. “We will be working with specialized construction companies familiar with 18th-century tools and techniques to make sure that repairs are performed so that the historic significance of the structure is retained, as well as with regional environmental groups to ensure that the river and its ecosystems are not negatively impacted in any way.”
“This project is an opportunity to combine historical preservation and environmental conservation along the Squannacook River, while also boosting the health of our local small businesses,” said Martin F. Connors, Jr., President & CEO of Rollstone Bank & Trust. “RBT has been part of the Townsend community since 1978 and we’re proud to contribute to this important project.”
Pictured: Martin F. Connors, Jr., President & CEO of Rollstone Bank & Trust, Martin F. Connors, Jr., RBT President & CEO; Brian Anderson, member of RBT Board of Directors; Kathleen Faur, Branch Manager of RBT's Townsend office; Ryan Hayward, President of Historical Society; Taber Morrell, Site Administrator.