Restored Jefferson Cutter House sports a new yellow glow.
To celebrate the completion of a major exterior restoration, the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum will hold a Summer Soiree gala fund-raiser on Sunday, Aug. 7.
The event will begin with remarks at the museum at 5 p.m., followed by a reception at the historic Whittemore-Robbins House, from 5:30 to 7:30. The house is next to the Robbins Library, at 670R Mass. Ave.
This festive summer evening will feature performances by violinist Coleen Bennett, flutist Elaine Huff and harpist Tess Epperson Maxwell. Guests will also enjoy gourmet hors d’oeuvres and desserts, wine and beer (cash bar) and a silent auction promising exciting surprises.
The soiree will raise funds to support the museum’s high-priority goals for the coming year, including expanded education programs and exhibit upgrades. Proceeds will also provide crucial funding for collections care and operations.
Reservations for the event are $50 per person or $60 the evening of the event.
For more information, or to make a reservation, visit www.dallin.org or contact the museum at 781-641-0747 or info[@]dallin.org.
The exterior restoration of the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum’s town-owned building, known as the Jefferson Cutter House, is the result of a collaboration between the museum’s nonprofit and the Town of Arlington.
“I would like to thank Ted Fields and Jennifer Raitt in the Department of Planning and Community Development, the Arlington Board of Selectmen, Redevelopment Board, Historical Commission, the Museum’s municipal Board of Trustees, and Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine for their commitment to this project and to the Dallin Museum,” Heather Leavell, the museum’s director/curator, said in a news release Friday, July 15. “Together we have built a successful model for how nonprofits and municipalities can work together to achieve their goals.”
Built about 1830, the Jefferson Cutter House is listed on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The groundwork for the restoration was established in 2013, when Leavell secured a grant on behalf of the town for a conservation assessment of the building.
Architect Wendy Frontiero of Beverly was selected to document the building’s conservation concerns. She found significant deterioration of the wood-shingled roof, failing gutters and downspouts, and areas of decay on sills, corner boards, trim, siding and windows.
In 2015, Leavell, with the help of Arlington’s former Director of Planning and Community Development Carol Kowalski and museum adviser Patrick Guthrie, secured a $65,000 grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Projects Fund to address the exterior concerns documented in Frontiero’s report.
Additional funds
Additional funds for this ambitious $200,000 project were contributed by the town and the Community Development Block Grant Program. After a public bidding process, the town selected the Aulson Co. of Methuen as the general contractor. Ted Fields, Arlington’s Economic Development Planner, served as the project manager.
“Guiding the restoration of the Cutter House was a great honor,” Fields said in the release. “The project showcases the best aspects of historic preservation: a committed team working collaboratively to not just preserve, but enhance, an important community asset and a vital link to Arlington’s past.”
The project team was composed of Chris Pocoli, Aulson Co.; Fred Lamburn, Town of Arlington building craftsman; Patrick Guthrie; Geraldine Tremblay, museum board director; and Sarah Burks and Aimee Taberner, museum cochairs; Fields, Leavell and Frontiero.
The scope of the restoration included a new cedar shingle roof; repair of the roof drainage system; conservation of sills, siding, trim, and doors; restoration of all 28 windows; historic paint analysis and exterior painting.
Preservation consultant William Finch of Beverly conducted the paint analysis by examining samples taken from the building’s exterior. He determined that the house was originally white. Desiring a fresh look (the building has also been white for the last 26 years), the project team selected the original 1850s color scheme: dark yellow (matched to Sherwin Williams “Golden Fleece”) with white trim.
Confluence of business, culture
As the location of the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum, Arlington Chamber of Commerce and Cutter Gallery, the Jefferson Cutter House is a tremendous resource for the community.
Jennifer Raitt, director of planning and community development, explains why this project has been so important: “Preserving the Jefferson Cutter House allows the sharing of special spaces and environments across generations. Many studies have shown the positive economic benefits of historic preservation.
“Arlington is lucky to have this resource in Arlington Center. With the site’s proximity to the bikeway and transit, it’s easy to visit the museum, Cutter Gallery and Chamber, relax in Whittemore Park, and shop and dine at the many surrounding businesses.”
Members of the Chamber and Cutter Gallery were in full support of the project. “We are extremely pleased with the improvements to the Jefferson Cutter House,” said Beth Locke, executive director of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. “The building is the perfect home for the Chamber. It’s central location and proximity to parking makes the Chamber office easily accessible to our members and prospective members. We appreciate all of the hard work that has gone into making the project such a success.”
The Dallin Museum, which has been closed for construction since March 28, will reopen Saturday, July 23, for Arlington Public Art’s annual popup exhibit Chairful Where You Sit and a performance by the Creek River String Band in front of the museum.
The Summer Soiree, the museum’s largest annual fund-raiser, will mark museum’s official reopening, on Aug. 7. “The Soiree gives us the opportunity to thank all those who worked so hard to make the restoration a success,” says Tremblay, museum board director. “We look forward to celebrating this major accomplishment with members of our community, all of whom support and recognize the Museum for the gem that it is.”
Soiree guests will have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction, which includes a private tour of Cyrus Dallin’s home, a VIP travel package to Salt Lake City and Springville, Utah (Dallin’s birthplace), a behind-the-scenes look at the world famous Skylight Studios in Woburn, a gorgeous, hand-turned oval mirror produced at the Old Schwamb Mill, and beautiful artworks by Anne-Marie Delaunay Danizio and Dennis Lucas. For descriptions of these, and dozens of other auction items generously donated by museums, sports teams, theaters, art centers, attractions, restaurants and individuals, click here >>
Supporters
The soiree is made possible by the generosity of these sponsors:
Visionaries: Daniel Johnson, Ken, Betsy & Jean Dallin Doherty, Winchester Co-operative Bank
Altruists: American Alarm, Century 21 Adams, Century Bank, The Dallin Family, Anne Ferguson & Peter Drench, Leader Bank, Mirak Automotive Group, and Watertown Savings Bank
Sustainer: Bowes Real Estate Real Living
Advocates: Arlington Adult & Family Mediation LLC, Arlington Community Media, Sarah Burks, Doukakis-Corsetti Insurance Agency, Inc., Hilt Studio, Gibbons Electric, Rogers & Hutchins Funeral Home, Tibbetts Landscaping Inc.
About the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum
The mission of the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum is to promote new insights into our shared history by exploring the life, work, and values of this celebrated sculptor of Arlington, Massachusetts. The Museum, located at 611 Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington Center, is open Fridays through Sundays from 12:00-4:00 P.M. For information on admission, exhibits, and programs, visit dallin.org or call 781-641-0747.
The Arlington Chamber of Commerce is proud to promote and support its more than 250 members by creating a collaborative environment among businesses, community and government within the Town of Arlington; by assisting members in their professional development by offering education and information; and by providing opportunities to make connections and build relationships. The Chamber celebrates it’s 100th anniversary this year. For information visit arlcc.org or call 781-643-4600.
The Cutter Gallery Arlington is dedicated to the promotion and support of aspiring and established local artists by providing exhibition space, support, and encouragement to bring creative arts to life. For more information visit www.cuttergalleryarlington.com.
The Jefferson Cutter House is a well-preserved example of early 19th-century domestic architecture. Jefferson Cutter was a seventh-generation descendant of one of Arlington’s founding families.
Cutter was a turner, millwright and edgetool maker. He built his Greek Revival, salt-box-style house around 1830 to accommodate his growing family. Of particular importance is the home’s elaborately carved main entry door, whose design appears to be unique and likely the work of Jefferson Cutter himself.
The interior of the house remains largely intact, retaining its four room, center hall plan, fireplaces, and much of its original interior trim and moldings. The house was originally located two miles north on Mass. Ave. The Mirak Family owned the property and generously donated the house to the Town of Arlington in 1989 to make way for their dealership. Following the transfer, the town of Arlington moved the Jefferson Cutter House to its present location in Arlington Center.
This extended announcement was published Monday, July 18, 2016.
