J.K. Scanlan Company, Inc. has been awarded the $1.988 million contract for the restoration and rehabilitation of the 3,000 s/f Reverend Josiah Dennis Manse Museum. The Manse Museum is the saltbox house that was built by the townspeople for Josiah Dennis, the minister for whom the town was named, in 1736, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Construction is set to begin in March and to be completed in 12 months.
The architect is Newport Collaborative Architects, Inc.
The project will be conducted in two phases. The first phase of work will consist of immediate structural repairs of heavy timber framing and the brick chimney stack. The second phase will focus on raising the Manse, which has a fieldstone foundation that has sunk two feet below street level, for construction of the new basement. The east and west external walls are bowed out due to failure of the structural posts forcing them to support all of the buildings weight. Other repairs to the Manse will include replacing the Alaskan cedar shingles with historically correct red cedar or pine shingles, window replacement, all interior doors will need to be removed, sanded and repainted, a handicapped compliant entrance with ramp and new restrooms will be added, a new septic system will be installed and improvements to the mechanical, electrical and fire suppression systems.
During the renovation the period clothing is being sent for repairs and all historical artifacts will be removed and placed into storage and the Dennis Historical Library, which is located at the manse, will be relocated to the second floor of the West Dennis Library.
In addition to historic renovations and restoration work, J.K. Scanlan Co. has divisions in healthcare, general construction and the newly developed JKS Wind, LLC, a division that designs and constructs wind turbines.