AMSTERDAM — Boarded up windows are often signs of vacancy and decay, but at historic Guy Park Manor, they’re an indication of the building’s stabilization as its ongoing restoration reaches a critical stage.
“We’ve put an extra level of care into the structure to make sure it was rehabilitated the right way with the proper upgrades and rebuilding of the structural integrity,” said Shane Mahar, senior communications strategy manager for the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and state Canal Corporation, at the site on Thursday.
In four to six weeks, Kevin Mainello, project engineer for Canal Corporation, said the historic building will be lifted roughly three feet and seven inches to permanently raise it above the floodplain.
“We’re trying to save the building and protect it,” Mainello said. “We’ve been making good progress.”
The project has admittedly run into delays and cost overruns as damage and structural issues were uncovered during the earliest stages that needed to be addressed before work progressed.
When NYPA announced the two stage project at the site in 2022, restoration of the manor estimated at $10 million was expected to be completed this summer before the creation of a “resiliency park” at the grounds proceeded in the second phase for completion in summer 2026.
The phase one building restoration is now estimated at $12 million and is targeted for completion in summer 2025. The project is fully funded by NYPA through the $300 million Reimagine the Canals initiative aimed at boosting tourism, mitigating flooding and enhancing recreational opportunities across the state Canal System.
“In a very classic old house rehabilitation project, we found more things wrong that needed to be fixed before the house could be securely lifted and that's what's taken us this extra time,” Mahar said.
UNFORESEEN REPAIRS
The ongoing restoration project is unlike any other tackled by the Canal Corporation, according to Mainello, who was responsible for rebuilding Erie Canal Lock 11 and stabilizing Guy Park Manor after severe flood damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011.
That was the most challenging project of his 33-year career with the state agency. He said restoring Guy Park Manor is second to that.
“This is not a typical canal project by any short measure,” Mainello said. “It’s rewarding, you definitely get a sense of accomplishment when you complete some of the structural repairs. They were very challenging. This is a beautiful building.”
Guy Park Manor was built by Sir William Johnson as a wedding gift for his daughter in 1774, with a pair of wings added on in the 1800s. The building later acquired by the state for historic preservation had several occupants over the years, with the Walter Elwood Museum being the last before the structure fell into disuse following the storm related flood damage.
Aside from its stabilization, the building was left untouched from 2011 until the present restoration project got underway starting with the abatement of asbestos, lead and mold throughout the structure.
Removal of interior wall finishings throughout the entire building was required to facilitate that work, revealing extensive damage. Original wood framing had deteriorated, mortar at the core of massive stone walls had turned to dust and the ends had rotted off two main roof trusses among other issues.
“It was all covered up with plaster and lathing, we could not see the damage,” Mainello said. “None of this was available for the designers to contemplate the condition of the structure ... it was all buried.”
Project planners inspected and reevaluated the building to develop plans to make all needed repairs that have since progressed.
Among the already completed work is the re-pointing and re-grouting of interior stone walls, removal or replacement of substandard framing, redistribution of load bearing beams to increase capacity, and replacement and reinforcement of ceiling beams, roof trusses and window frames.
These details are visible everywhere within the historic structure where a light layer of construction dust signals the extensive work that has been performed to date.
“The longevity of the building has been increased dramatically because of the substantial additional repairs we’ve done that weren’t contemplated. We have not cut any corners,” Mainello said. “That’s the main reason it’s taking us longer, because we are doing it right. We want the building to be something that could be enjoyed for many, many years to come.”
Original materials have been maintained and restored to the extent possible with features that could not be saved to be replicated in-kind. Materials that were removed in salvageable condition have been stored for eventual reuse for interior finishings or educational display at the site.
“Whatever we could save, we saved,” said Muhammad Tasaddaq, office engineer with AECOM.
A western wall that collapsed during the past flood event has also been rebuilt with concrete blocks that will eventually be recovered with original stones that were previously salvaged.
Work by VMJR Companies has progressed methodically through each stage of restorations by necessity to set up each successive task.
“We couldn’t do certain repairs until other repairs were done, because the loading of the building was such that it would affect the other repairs. It was a very complicated time period for us,” Mainello said.
UPLIFTING WORK
The removal of interior doors, boarding up of windows and bracing of fireplace chimneys has readied the building for a significant stage when it is gradually lifted to a higher elevation by 49 jacks operating simultaneously.
Present site work is largely focused on preparing for the lift. Cribs have been dug in the earthen floor of the basement mostly by hand due to the limited space for the jacks and shims that will be used by Wolfe House & Building Movers during the lifting process. The subcontractors were nonplussed by what is a routine job for them during a recent meeting with project staff.
“Lifting this building is going to be very interesting. I’ve never been involved in lifting a historic building. I’ve lifted a lot of steel structures, I’ve lifted the dam structure, but never lifted a stone building of this magnitude,” Mainello said.
Workers wielding massive saws were cutting notches around the perimeter of the existing foundation this week that the series of roughly 60 foot long beams will fit through to support the building when it is lifted.
“We'll be basically making Swiss cheese out of all these rolls just to get the beams through it in both directions,” Mainello said. “You can’t have too many workers around those machines while they’re saw cutting that concrete. It’s dangerous. So, again you’ve got to work in a localized area, then you’ve got to move over to another localized area, so it’s tedious.”
The building will be lifted incrementally over the course of around three days before it reaches its new elevation above the floodplain. The Canal Corporation will set up timelapse cameras to document the “unique” process.
Afterwards, Mainello said crews will demolish the original stone foundation by hand to salvage the materials that will eventually be used to cover the new concrete foundation that will be poured to support the building.
“It's a very labor intensive project,” Mainello said. “The load of the building will be spread out on new foundations that this building doesn't even have. This building has no footings. It's just a straight wall sitting on earth.”
Once the foundation is installed, the area immediately surrounding the building will be relandscaped to make the added height look more natural and as though it had always been at that elevation.
The New York State Power Authority and NYS Canal Corp. stabilized Guy Park Manor and are now ready to lift the 1774 building almost four-feet above the flood plain and begin restoring it for future use. Amsterdam Recorder's Ashley Onyon got a tour of the current work site.
In addition to raising the building, vents will also be installed in the basement allowing water to enter and exit the lower level to protect the manor in case the Mohawk River overflows its banks in the future.
MORE TO COME
Rebuilding the foundation is expected to take around three to four months, likely winding down as colder weather arrives. Work is then expected to move inside for the installation of new mechanicals, heating, cooling, electrical and sprinkler systems.
“It will be air conditioned and heated so that … we don't deteriorate all the work we just put into it and we also are installing a sprinkler system to protect it from fire,” Mainello said.
Systems in the basement will actually be suspended from the ceiling to protect them against potential flooding.
In the spring, work will move outdoors to repaint the facade, repoint exterior stones, regrout joints, replace roofs and recreate rear porch and an ornate front entrance.
A detailed front door with an ornate metal railing from the building’s past will be replicated using photos discovered during project planning from when the building housed the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Mainello said crews have worked closely with the state Historic Preservation Office throughout the project to ensure the historic building is properly preserved and restored.
“We can't remove any more than we absolutely have to,” Mainello said. He noted that led to a sagging doorway being left intact with new reinforcement and window frames on a slope having to be rebuilt at that angle.
When this initial phase is complete, the historic building likely won’t be reopening to the public right away with interior finishing not expected to proceed until a future tenant is selected.
The Canal Corporation is working to determine the future use of the building, which could involve a hospitality venue. At least some portion of the structure is expected to house public space with historical interpretations related to the manor house, the city of Amsterdam and the state Canal System.
“There is a real desire to bring life back to this property to its fullest, it’s just a matter of the timing and the sequence that’s got to go into that,” Mahar said. “There will be a phased reopening of the property over the next several years to come.”
The timing of the second phase of the project at the historic site is unclear in light of the delayed restoration. The next stage will create an educational landscape and demonstration gardens supporting a public park with walking paths on the 12-acre property.
Landscaped earthen berms will also be installed on the grounds to help protect the manor house and property from future flooding events while creating a welcoming area for visitors at the popular site frequented by locals even as restoration work has progressed.
“For the Mohawk Valley, for Amsterdam, this is significant and it’s an investment and that’s something NYPA and the Canal Corporation have committed to,” Mahar said. “It’s all uniquely New York. There is no other spot in the world that has this historic waterway, this infrastructure and just the history that is weaved in throughout this entire Canal System.”
Images: Amsterdam's Guy Park Manor restoration (17 photos)
Exterior of Guy Park Manor, currently being prepared for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
Exterior rear of Guy Park Manor, facing the Mohawk River, currently being prepared for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
Kevin Mainello, project engineer, New York State Canal Corp. shows where the water level was at a front corner of Guy Park Manor, from Tropicl Storm Irene and Lee in 2011 as the building is currently being prepared for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
Kevin Mainello, project engineer, New York State Canal Corp. shows where the water level was at a front corner of Guy Park Manor, from Tropical Storm Irene and Lee in 2011 as the building is currently being prepared for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
Construction workers use a concrete wet saw to create holes within the foundation of Guy Park Manor, preparing it for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
Kevin Mainello, project engineer, New York State Canal Corp, right, Muhammad Tasadaaq, office engineer with NYS Canal Corp, center and Shane Mahar, .Senior Communications Strategy Manager at New York Power Authority, lead a tour around and inside Guy Park Manor. The historic building is currently being prepared for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
One of more than a dozen fireplaces still intact within Guy Park Manor, preparing it for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
Kevin Mainello, project engineer, New York State Canal Corp, left, Muhammad Tasadaaq, office engineer with NYS Canal Corp, center and Shane Mahar, .Senior Communications Strategy Manager at New York Power Authority, lead a tour around and inside Guy Park Manor. The historic building is currently being prepared for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
Kevin Mainello, project engineer, New York State Canal Corp. talks about the water levels at Guy Park Manor, from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 as the building is currently being prepared for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
A look at one of the first floor rooms at Guy Park Manor, after its mold and asbestos removal, showing the original walls and reinforced construction, preparing it for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
A view of Lock 11 on the Mohawk River from a first floor window at Guy Park Manor, after its mold and asbestos removal, showing the original walls and reinforced construction, preparing it for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
Kevin Mainello, project engineer, New York State Canal Corp. left, and Senior Communications Strategy Manager at New York Power Authority, talk about the continued construction at Guy Park Manor, from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 adjacent to the still intact staircase inside the building as it is being prepared for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
A look at one original building joints, now reinforced at Guy Park Manor, part of its reinforced construction, preparing it for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
A look at one original building joists at Guy Park Manor, as the building is prepared for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
A look at one second floor windows with its original wood pane, at Guy Park Manor, with blocks placed in the window area to secure the building is prepared for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
A look at one second floor windows with its original wood pane, at Guy Park Manor, with blocks placed in the window area to secure the building is prepared for a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
A box containing original nails, finishing nails and other items found withing the building on display inside the construction office at the lGuy Park Manor site. Much of the salvagable wood has been retained in several construction containers for use after the building undergoes a lift, bringing it up more than three-feet, above the current flood plain along the Mohawk River at Lock 11 of the Erie Canal at 366 W. Main Street in Amsterdam, May 2, 2024.
