Historic Structure Report
Although we now may be closer than ever to saving the
John Marsh house we’re still not close enough.
The end of last year saw the completion of the long awaited Historic
Structure Report (HSR) for the stone house.
An HSR is used as a guide and basis for a property’s preservation, the
fundamental first step. The report was
prepared by the highly respected Architectural Resources Group of San Francisco and was paid for by California State Department of Parks
and Recreation. The HSR calls for the
complete restoration of the house exterior to a near original 1850’s
appearance. To include rebuilding the
collapsed walls, replacement of the tower with a version closer in appearance
to the 1855 original and reproduction of the two story veranda that originally
ran along three sides of the house.
Because the interior restoration will require further research, it is
planned as the last phase of the project.
The work is estimated to cost approximately 7.5 million dollars. Voter approved proposition 40 funds have been
allocated and the project remains, for now, in the governor’s budget. Assuming it isn’t eliminated in the next
round of budget cuts and the funds make it through the appropriation process it
will still take a minimum of 4-6 months until any repair work can actually
begin. The house simply may not have
that long.
The
brick and sand stone southern wall collapsed years ago. If stabilization
measures aren’t taken immediately the northern wall is certain to suffer the
same fate. In just the time it took to
prepare the HSR large fractures appeared along the lower sections of the north
wall. The John Marsh Trust Board of
Directors have asked California State Parks to
expedite plans to stabilize this wall.
Its current condition is simply too precarious to wait the typical 4-6
months required to appropriate funding for the complete project. Collapse of the north wall is imminent
without immediate intervention.
Completion
of the HSR is applauded. An expression
of California State Parks renewed commitment to preserving the John Marsh
site. Supporters of the preservation
effort should urge our state government to implement the report’s
recommendations as soon as funding can be appropriated
and to insist that the critical north wall repairs be completed immediately.
We
are closer than ever to finally saving the old stone house, but close isn’t
good enough. Our work will not be done
until the house and surrounding property are fully restored and open to the
public. Members of the John Marsh Trust
are committed to this goal. Support
us. Now more than ever the governor,
elected representatives and parks department officials need to know that California wants the John Marsh house
restored. Write, call and email your
elected representatives, they need to know how you feel!!
Athena Randolph
Marsh Historic Trust