Marblehead to replace Gun House doors

MARBLEHEAD – Shattuck Fund money will be used to replace the doors on the Gun House, an 1810 Elm St. building located near the Gerry School. The building was formerly used to store artillery.According to Historical Commission Chairman Chris Johnston and his colleagues, “The relatively new doors on the Gun House have deteriorated and have substantial rot.”The commission plans to replace the doors with replicas that will be historically accurate, designed from an 1870 photograph. The contractor plans to reuse the present hinges, which are in “surprisingly good condition,” according to Johnston.At a Tuesday commission meeting, Johnston thanked commission member Joyce Booth for her work on the Gun House project.Left to the town by Harold B. and Elizabeth L. Shattuck, the Shattuck Memorial Fund has provided scholarships and recreational projects as well as historical restoration.In addition to the Gun House, the fund has also underwritten the cost of restoring stained glass and circular windows, the walls of the selectmen?s meeting room and the rotunda and basement hallways, all at Abbot Hall.The fund will also provide $11,000 for the restoration of deteriorating grave markers on Old Burial Hill, matching an $11,000 grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Project Fund.On the advice of Town Planner Rebecca Curran, selectmen have approved a perpetual preservation restriction and maintenance agreement on the Old Burial Hill in Marblehead, meaning that once the stones are refurbished the town will maintain them.