Taking Down the Old Building

The old powerhouse building is coming down — carefully, piece by piece, and with more respect than a demolition usually gets.

The decision wasn't taken lightly. But the reality is that the old structure was too small for the new equipment, too far gone to economically rehabilitate, and sited in a way that made modern equipment access nearly impossible. The new generator, gearbox, and switchgear need a building designed around them — with proper clearances, lifting access, and room for the control systems that will let this plant run unattended.

So this winter and spring, we've been disassembling rather than demolishing. Salvageable materials are being set aside. The historic fieldstone foundation walls — some of the best masonry on the site — are being preserved and will be incorporated into the new structure. The old equipment inside was documented exhaustively before anything moved.

Winter turns out to be a decent season for this kind of work. Frozen ground carries equipment well, there's no vegetation in the way, and the river is quiet under the ice.

As the building opens up, we're getting our best look yet at how the original builders arranged the water passages below — knowledge that's feeding straight into the foundation design for the new generator house. The goal is a building that looks like it belongs on a New England mill site but works like a modern generating station.

Foundations start as soon as the ground allows.