Excellence Award Spotlight: Dr. Ferguson's Office
The restoration of Dr. Ferguson’s Office in Glens Falls is one of this year’s Excellence in Historic Preservation Award winners. This post is part of an in depth series exploring all of the 2020 Award winners.
Dr. Ferguson’s Office on Culvert Street in Glens Falls has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984. The small, Second Empire-style building is “the only structure of its type and style remaining in Glens Falls,” as noted in its National Register nomination. After years of neglect, the city of Glens Falls took ownership of the building and eventually sought (and received) bids for demolition.
Local preservationists were calling for the building to be saved and our Preservation Colleagues at Adirondack Architectural Heritage sent out communications to their members informing them of the building’s looming demolition. At the eleventh hour, Darren and Lisa Tracey stepped in to save this beloved Glens Falls building.
Darren Tracy inside one of the apartments, showing off photographs of the building before he and his team restored it.
The Tracy’s came to the project with a track record of success in rehabilitating historic buildings and their small construction company was prepared to do much of the work on Dr. Ferguson’s Office. They submitted a proposal to the city council, which was quickly approved. They purchased the property for $1 – and then proceeded to invest significant time and resources to restore it. Utilizing federal and state historic tax credits helped make the restoration financially feasible. They prioritized saving as much of the original structure as possible, including repairing the mansard roof and constructing an interior wood frame to stabilize the brick walls.
The building is now home to rental apartments and adds to the charm of the streetscape. There was broad community support to save this building, and this project proves that small projects can have a big impact. And though it was a true team effort to get the job done, it’s a reminder that individuals have the power to make real and positive change for the communities they care about.
The project team included: Darren Tracy, Professional Engineer/Principal, West Branch Engineering & Consulting PLLC, Vice President West Branch Inc. General Construction (Building Co-owner); Lisa Tracy, President, West Branch Inc. General Construction (Building Co-owner); Brett Watkins, Foreman, West Branch Inc. General Construction; Stosh Robert, SJ Roberts Plumbing; Darryl Dumas, Liberty HVAC; Nicholas LaFountain, Profile Design Build, LLC; Peter Charbonneau, Charbonneau Roofing; Scott Dickinson, Electrician; Mike Assaf, Painter; Justin Rychlik, Painter; Warren Tire; Adirondack Architectural Heritage; City of Glens Falls; Curtis Lumber; NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation.