© Newburyport Daily News
By Katie Farrell Lovett
Staff writer
NEWBURYPORT — In a formal military ceremony at the National Guard armory on Low Street, the state officially handed control of the historic powder house to the city after a years-long push by local officials, and, above all else, the dedicated volunteers of the Newburyport Preservation Trust.
It was a day that took many years to bring to fruition.
The Trust, a group that focuses on preserving historic structures in the city and educating others about them, led the effort for the city to regain control of the powder house in order to restore the structure and make it a city landmark. Once owned by the city, it was later turned over to the Mass. National Guard, on whose property it sits.
Once restored, the powder house property will serve as a public park and a learning center for children. The small, circular building was built in 1822 on Godfrey's Hill to store gun powder for the city's militia. The state and city have signed a 99-year lease agreement.
Getting it back has been a difficult process, city leaders and state officials agreed yesterday during a celebration where the official stewardship of the building was transferred in front of an audience of current and former city leaders, Preservation Trust members and schoolchildren.
Security on that land tightened following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists attacks, making it difficult to come up with an agreement that not only gives the preservation group access but also allows the public to visit the site once restoration if finished.
Over time, the building had also fallen into a state of neglect, and its list of significant needs grew. Repairs will include new bricks, a new roof, repairs to the floor and ceiling beams, and a new door.
The project is about 90 percent complete, said Tom Kolterjahn, co-chairman of the Powder House Restoration Committee along with Karen Holt. The interior work will begin shortly.
In the spring, the front entrance and landscaping will be finished.
"It turned into a labor of love," Kolterjahn said of the project.
For several years, the Trust has been securing funds and collecting donations to complete the restoration, while overseeing the project. More than $200,000 has been raised, and the group needs to collect about $50,000 more.
Kolterjahn offered the thanks of the Preservation Trust to all who helped the restoration move ahead.
"Without (state Rep.) Michael Costello and his team, this project to save the powder house would never have happened," Kolterjahn said.
Costello praised Holt and Kolterjahn for staying with the project.
"Without them, this project would have gone nowhere," he said.
Brigadier Gen. Thomas Sellars, commander of the Mass. Army National Guard, praised the commitment of the city in working to save the powder house, which would have otherwise been lost.
"You only have a few opportunities in life to really make a difference in something," he said.
Those involved made a difference, he said.
"Take care of it, take care of your community," Sellars said.
Remembering and sharing that history is critical, Mayor Donna Holaday said.
"Our city just has so much history to share," she said.
State Sen. Steven Baddour, D-Methuen, said, "It only takes one generation to lose history."
"The powder house is a very important building for us," Costello said, recognizing all those who pushed for the restoration project, including former mayors and city leaders, as well as volunteers Ralph Ayers and Frank Miller.
Donations to the powder house project can be sent to NPT Powder House Fund, PO Box 184, Newburyport, MA 01950.