Tisbury receives grant to fix Tashmoo Spring Building

By Susan Vaughn - May 10, 2007

The Massachusetts Historical Commission recently awarded an emergency grant of $30,000 for repairs and stabilization of the Tashmoo Spring Building. The historic pump station at the Tisbury Water Works dates back to 1887. The emergency grant was awarded in response to a request made by the Tashmoo Spring Building Preservation Committee.

The money from the Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund is earmarked for emergency stabilization of the building's standpipe, temporary shoring of the main roof, roof repairs, and extermination services for an infestation of carpenter ants.

The preservation committee also received a $5,000 grant from the Martha's Vineyard Permanent Endowment Fund toward the spring building's restoration.

At the Tisbury selectmen's meeting on May 1, town administrator John Bugbee said the spring building project is at a crossroads. At town meeting, the community preservation committee allocated a total of $227,000 toward preserving and restoring the building. In addition, last year at town meeting, Tisbury voters appropriated $25,000 for repairs to stabilize the building this past winter.

After receiving funds in February, the building committee put out bid specifications for the work and awarded a contract for the stabilization work. However, some of the work thought necessary to stabilize the building is no longer urgent, now winter's over.

Mr. Bugbee suggested rewriting the bid specifications for stabilization work that will be incorporated into the final product. The selectmen agreed.

In the meantime, committee members have been pursuing many avenues for grants to fund the building's repairs. In order to be eligible for many grants, the building must be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to committee member Aase Jones. An application has been submitted and is now under review. On May 11, a representative from the secretary of the commonwealth's office will make a site visit to the spring building, another step in the review process.