27 Chestnut Street after the fact applicatinoSalem Historical Commission
98 WASHINGTON STREET, SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS 01970
(978) 619-5685
Application for: Certificate of Non-Applicability - HCA-23-126
Date of
Submission:
October 24, 2023 Owner at Submission
(from Assessor)
Elizabeth Elizabeth Seward
Padjen, FAIA Padjen
Applicant name:Elizabeth Padjen Owner (from Applicant)
Applicant phone:617-448-9437 Owner Phone 6174489437
Applicant email:epadjen@comcast.net Owner Email epadjen@comcast.net
Address of Property: 27 Chestnut Street
Declared District: McIntire Year Built (From Assessor)1817
Occupancy (from
Assessor)
Zoning (From Assessor)R2
Building Type (from
Assessor)
Property Use (From
Assessor)
Type of Work:
Is work visible from Public Way?:Yes
Applicant's Description of Work:While performing the previously approved repointing of brickwork around the
front of our Pickering Street garage, our mason discovered that a short section
of copper flashing in the roof valley to the north of the entry pediment (to the
right of the entry in attached photos) had seriously deteriorated -- "rotted" was
his term. The flashing was laid over the existing slate roof. This valley tends to
collect leaf debris, and we believe that the tannic acid of the leaves caused the
deterioration. There is evidence of prior repairs.
Before I was able to view the problem, he determined that it should be repaired
right away. He has previously done this sort of flashing work, had immediate
access to copper left over from a prior project, and his scaffolding was in place.
I agreed with his decision.
This discovery was just today; his repair was performed very quickly. Attached
photos show the initial condition as well as the repair underway, before the new
bit of copper was secured with tar.
I understand this is an after-the-fact request for a certificate and hope the the
Commission will understand the circumstances.
In addition, the repair area is quite small -- just a few inches long. Although the
location faces the public way, it is only marginally visible because of trees. The
flash of new bright copper might initally draw attention, but with weathering
(and more leaves falling) it will not really be visible.
It is possible that the valley to the south side (left side in the photos) has the
same issue. Neither of us has previously noticed a problem, but he will verify
its condition. I hope that a certificate might also cover that situation if
necessary.