PROJECTS
LEE'S ACADEMY
RENOVATION
Constructed in 1821 at a cost of $1200, the 2 story 1,200 square foot Lee's Academy was Madison's first high school. Located across the street from the home of Captain Frederick Lee, the chief proponent of the project, it was made with native timber and was topped by a bell tower that held a salvaged ship's bell. Lee's Academy was ultimately relocated to the town green. In 1923 the Madison Historical Society assumed ownership of the building.
In 2019 Lee’s Academy qualified for the Good to Great Grant Program, which supports “not-for-profit arts, cultural and historic organizations.” In 2021, it received a CTH SHARP Capacity Grant, provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the American Rescue Plan. The Madison Historical Society received $184,000 to recreate the building's first floor.
To open the first floor for exhibits, the bisecting columns that supported the midspan of the second floor were replaced by two full-span beams under the existing framing. Projection was set to that condition that also located flexible, focusable lighting that could adapt to various exhibit orientations. New floor framing below the first floor mandated new flooring of salvaged chestnut that replaced early twentieth-century oak. An original second entry door was reopened. The existing wainscoting was renewed, and electric outlets were set throughout to allow flexibility in exhibit design and use. Six new movable exhibit cases were also created.
Handicapped accessibility was meshed with the recently added second means of second-floor egress. A steel set of steps was moved to comport with required dimensions and to integrate with new steps that responded to the new walkway access. Use of an inclined walkway, with a shallower pitch (1 in 20) than a "ramp" (1 in 12), meant no handrails and minimal barrier railings. A viably accessible bath was built within existing walls.
Secretary of Interior Guidelines Followed:
ACCESSIBILITY:
"Provide barrier-free access that promotes independence for the user while preserving significant historical features."
INTERIOR SPACES, FEATURES, AND FINISHES:
"Inserting a new floor, when necessary for a new use, only in large assembly spaces."
