Day House Receives $10,000 Grant!

Thanks to a $10,000 grant received from the Blue Hills Bank Charitable Foundation, The Norwood Historical Society’s Board of Governors is studying how to make the Day House more accessible.

If you drove by the Day House during the last year, you saw the scaffolding and the work. The Board of Governors authorized a study of the historic architecture in 2016. This study gave a comprehensive portrait of the Day House and its current state. Next the Board turned to crucial work to preserve and maintain the house. In the past year, workers have addressed water leaks surrounding the four chimneys of the Day House. In addition to re-building and re-pointing bricks and correcting weak flashing, masons also shored up the house’s brick foundations. The goal was to stop water infiltration that was damaging this iconic structure, a visible testament to Norwood’s past.

With the support of the Blue Hills Bank Charitable Foundation, the Norwood Historical Society is studying how to make the Day House more accessible. “Bringing historic structures such as the Day House into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act is a challenge,” says Society President Bryan Burns, “but we want to do what we can to make this space more accessible.” Currently the Board of Governors is exploring options for making the ground floor accessible, including a ramped entrance and adding a public restroom accessible to all. “Our hope is for the Day House to become a community center, open and accessible to all,” says Burns.

The Norwood Historical Society, a 501(c)3 non-profit supported by its members, is the repository of information about Norwood’s history and is headquartered in the F. Holland Day House (93 Day Street, Norwood, MA 02062), the first structure in Norwood to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.