2 Andover St Fence Replacement Plan 4.27.19Application for Certificate of Non-Applicability
to replace fence at
2 ANDOVER ST
SALEM, MA 01970
To the Salem Historical Commission,
We’re seeking your approval for a Certificate of Non-Applicability to replace
our spindle fence at the corner of Andover Street and Beckford Street.
Our plan is to precisely replicate the design of our existing fence, not only to
keep up the appearance of our home, but to also keep the aesthetic in line
with the surrounding historic McIntire District neighborhood.
We’ll disassemble the current fence, set new support posts below the frost
line, then rebuild the fence to the exact size and scale of the current one
using new but appropriate materials. It will be finished in the same white
color as the current fence. We’ll also reuse the existing cast iron hardware.
Based on old photographs, we can see that this fence has been replaced
multiple times over the last century. Now, we’re hoping you agree, it’s simply
time for its next replacement.
Sincerely,
The current owners of the Beckford Whipple house
Alison and Tim Bildsten
Gina Maniscalco and Donald Gilligan
Current Condition of the Fence
Over the years this fence has been carefully maintained,
but unfortunately it has reached a point where it’s beyond
simple patchwork repairs and now requires larger
structural improvements.
Rot is pervasive throughout railings, posts, spindles,
and other trim work. All railing spans have sagged to the
point where they’re contacting the ground, which is only
accelerating the rotting process.
A few of the main posts are crooked, likely due to frost
heave and the strain of the sagging railings. Also,
a contractor dropped a ladder on the fence last fall,
completely breaking one of the railings and damaging
several spindles.
The fence is in rough shape to say the least.
Historical Significance
Based on older photos of the property, this fence appears
to have been replaced multiple times over the lifespan of
the house and none of the materials appear to be historical
originals. While the design has remained similar, there
have been a few noticable changes.
In the photo dated 1928, there were plinth boards (or
rot boards) below the bottom railings that are no longer
present. Also, the main posts and spindles seem to be
slightly taller than what we see today relative to the first
floor window frames.
In the photo dated 1900, not only was the house painted
differently, but the post caps on the fence were also
pyramid shaped.
1928
About 1900
Current Property Site Plan
Location of Fence (in pink)
492” ANDOVER ST LENGTH 197.5” BECKFORD ST LENGTH
Elevation of Existing Fence
?” UNKNOWN
POST DEPTH
BELOW GROUND
212” RAILING SPAN #1
55.5”
AVERAGE POST HEIGHT
INCLUDING FINIAL BALL
188” RAILING SPAN #2 173.5” RAILING SPAN #3
35”
SPINDLE HEIGHT
Proposed Elevation of Replacement Fence
48”
POST DEPTH
BELOW GROUND
DIMENSIONS OF EXISTING FENCE WILL BE REPLICATED ACROSS POSTS, RAILINGS,
AND SPINDLES. THE VISIBLE AREA OF THE NEW FENCE WILL BE IDENTICAL TO THE
EXISTING IN SIZE AND SCALE.
THE ONLY CHANGE WILL BE BELOW GROUND, WITH NEW POSTS SET IN CONCRETE
AT LEAST 48” DEEP TO RESIST FROST HEAVE.
AND TO HELP SUPPORT EACH RAILING SPAN, A HIDDEN ALUMINUM SPINDLE WILL
BE PLACED BETWEEN EACH SET OF MAIN POSTS. THESE SUPPORT SPINDLES WILL
ALSO BE SET IN CONCRETE AT THE SAME 48” DEPTH.
Aluminum Support Spindles
This is a current photo of one of our fence’s
railing spans. As you can see, without support it
has sagged to the ground and now moisture is
rotting the wood from the bottom up.
There are many impressive details on the new
fence at the nearby Peirce-Nichols House, but
the metal support spindles beneath the bottom
railing spans are truly smart. We’d like to do the
same beneath our new fence to help it look its
best and extend its life.
Metal spindles were similarly used beneath the
longest spans of the Ropes Mansion fence. Ours
would look close to this, extending naturally from
underground into what appears to be just another
wooden spindle on the fence.
The three aluminum support spindles (marked in pink to the
right) will match the exact 1.25” outside diameter of all the
other wood spindles, and they’ll be painted the same white
color as the rest of the fence. But crucially, they’ll help to
support the railings while maintaining a level, 3” minimum
ground clearance for the bottom spans all around.
Our Existing Fence Peirce-Nichols Fence Ropes Mansion Fence
Wood Spindles
2x6 Cross Section
(actual 1.5” x 5.5”)
1.25” diameter dowels will be cut from clear grade Western Red Cedar
2x6s to create 35” long spindles. In total there will be 120 spindles.
Many of the current spindles have been replaced
over the years resulting in a few inconsistent
tops, but all are 1.25” diameter.
Existing Spindles
Profile of New Spindle Top
Spindle tops will be consistently shaped using a router
jig. We’ll be replicating the exact top shape of the most
symmetrical spindles on the current fence.
1.25” DIAMETER
Railings
This cross cut into one of the current railings
reveals extensive rot between the replacement
round-over edges and what appears to be
the original main railing. To add strength we’ll
replicate this profile across solid 2x6s so there
are no unnecessary seams.
Existing Railing Profile
Replacement Railing Cross Section
Top and bottom railings to be shaped identically from clear grade
Western Red Cedar 2x6s
1.5”
HEIGHT
5.5” WIDTH
7 DEGREE TOP BEVEL
5/8” ROUNDOVER
TOP AND BOTTOM
1.25” DIAMETER
HOLES DRILLED
FOR SPINDLES
Main Posts
The current posts are in rough shape, and most have
fallen out of alignment, but we’ll recreate them to look
straight and true. Once removed, we’ll take a close
look at the finial ball tops to see if the current ones can
be reused. If they’re too rotted, replacements will be
ordered that are the same 8” diameter.
Existing Posts Post Dimensions
55.5”
AVERAGE
TOTAL HEIGHT
11.5” POST BODY WIDTH
15.5” X 15.5” X 1.5”
TRIM TOPPER 1
41”
POST BODY HEIGHT
WILL VARY SLIGHTLY
FROM POST TO POST
TO ACCOUNT FOR
SLIGHT VARIATIONS
IN GROUND CONTACT
LEVEL
3.5”
CROWN MOLDING
11.5”
FINIAL BALL TOP
TOTAL HEIGHT 11.5” X 11.5” X 1.5”
TRIM TOPPER 2
Overall Note on Materials
Multiple repairs have been done over the years to the
current fence resulting in a mix of Cedar, Treated Pine,
various hardwoods, and PVC materials. We’d like to
rebuild using a clear grade of Western Red Cedar for
all railings, spindles, and main posts, with non-visible
structural posts and frames made of Treated Pine. We’d
also like to install aluminum spindles to support each
railing span—as was done to support the fences in front of
the Pierce-Nichols House and Ropes Mansion.
Who Will Be Doing The Work?
A close friend of ours who works in construction will be
assisting with final assembly and helping to set the posts,
but I personally—Tim Bildsten, owner of the Beckford
Street side of the house—will be doing the majority of the
woodworking to recreate the parts needed for this fence.
I have experience helping to build fences and decks to
withstand harsh Minnesota winters, and as a hobby I also
enjoy fine woodworking. Two very different skill-sets that I
believe will complement each other perfectly for a detailed
outdoor project like this one. I’ve become quite familiar
with this fence over the last two years and can’t wait to
bring it back to its former glory. Also, when repairs are
needed down the road, it will be nice to be able to easily
tool back up to fix or replace whatever is needed. This
fence will be living in front of our home for years to come,
so I’ve got skin in this game, and will go the extra mile to
make sure it’s done right.
Thank You!