Situated on the ancient road between Gloucester and Ipswich lies the Cox Reservation, where a 200-year-old farmhouse recently underwent a transformation to bring it into the 21st century - and beyond.
Located just a hundred yards north of J.T. Farnham's Clam Shack on Route 133, the farmhouse has served as the headquarters of the Essex County Greenbelt Association since 1974, when the late Allyn Cox donated to ECGA the complex, including two barns and 30 acres of saltwater grasses, meadows, orchards and a wood lot, all of which border the Essex River and its tributaries. But in recent years the three-story house, one-third of which was built into the side of a hill, had become too small for the organization's plethora of staff members.
"We were bursting at the seams," said executive director Edward Becker. He and other ECGA employees have been instrumental in the organization's 44-year history by helping preserve more than 200 properties and 12,000 acres of land that has scenic, ecological and agricultural significance in Essex County.
Compounding a lack of space in the farmhouse, Becker said, was a mildew problem on the lower floor, which, because it was essentially buried underground, maintained a consistently high level of humidity.
And like nearly all old farmhouses, this one had little, if any, insulation in the walls.
Thus, beginning in 2005, Becker and his associates planned and designed a complete refabrication of their home base, including an addition that would double their workspace. In April 2006, the first physical signs of a project underway were apparent, thanks to a proliferation of private donations and endowments from when Cox originally gave up the property. By February of this year, when Becker and other ECGA employees were able to move back in, a gamut of new, technical - and highly efficient - options had been installed.
A new solar panel array, foam insulation that expands to 100 times its original volume, and an underground cistern fed by bright copper gutter pipes, are just three of the modern components.
The building, seen from Route 133, appears unchanged. Even the two-story addition on the back side of the original farmhouse looks as though it had been conceived in the 18th century, and that was entirely the point, said Jill Buchanan, a consultant with ECGA. Beyond matching the architectural scheme of the time, she said, ECGA wanted the addition to fit into the landscape and contain "green" features.
Located just a hundred yards north of J.T. Farnham's Clam Shack on Route 133, the farmhouse has served as the headquarters of the Essex County Greenbelt Association since 1974, when the late Allyn Cox donated to ECGA the complex, including two barns and 30 acres of saltwater grasses, meadows, orchards and a wood lot, all of which border the Essex River and its tributaries. But in recent years the three-story house, one-third of which was built into the side of a hill, had become too small for the organization's plethora of staff members.
"We were bursting at the seams," said executive director Edward Becker. He and other ECGA employees have been instrumental in the organization's 44-year history by helping preserve more than 200 properties and 12,000 acres of land that has scenic, ecological and agricultural significance in Essex County.
Compounding a lack of space in the farmhouse, Becker said, was a mildew problem on the lower floor, which, because it was essentially buried underground, maintained a consistently high level of humidity.
And like nearly all old farmhouses, this one had little, if any, insulation in the walls.
Thus, beginning in 2005, Becker and his associates planned and designed a complete refabrication of their home base, including an addition that would double their workspace. In April 2006, the first physical signs of a project underway were apparent, thanks to a proliferation of private donations and endowments from when Cox originally gave up the property. By February of this year, when Becker and other ECGA employees were able to move back in, a gamut of new, technical - and highly efficient - options had been installed.
A new solar panel array, foam insulation that expands to 100 times its original volume, and an underground cistern fed by bright copper gutter pipes, are just three of the modern components.
The building, seen from Route 133, appears unchanged. Even the two-story addition on the back side of the original farmhouse looks as though it had been conceived in the 18th century, and that was entirely the point, said Jill Buchanan, a consultant with ECGA. Beyond matching the architectural scheme of the time, she said, ECGA wanted the addition to fit into the landscape and contain "green" features.
The hope, said Becker, is that the new farmhouse complex will garner a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certificate, becoming only the 26th LEED certified building in the entire state. But with hundreds of other Massachusetts projects already registered with the U.S. Green Building Council and vying for the next LEED spot, Becker could be in for a long wait.
In the meantime, though, ECGA will enjoy the fruits of its labors. Spending an additional 20 percent on new windows, insulation and an ultra-efficient gas furnace, said Becker, will ultimately pay off in the coming months and years, as ECGA's utility bills will be less.
New perks include recessed, compact fluorescent light bulbs, which cast a pleasant, steady glow; low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints and floor finishes; a rainwater capture system and 1,000-gallon underground cistern that will be used to flush toilets and water perennial gardens around the house; and Icynene spray-blown foam insulation, which minimizes air leakage and creates a healthier indoor environment while also blocking outside noise.
But the most technologically advanced - and interesting - addition is a 150-watt solar array that is mounted on a 12-inch diameter steel pole, and which tracks the sun throughout the day at about 15 degrees per hour. Simply keeping perpendicular angle to the sun, Becker said, increases the energy output of the solar panels by 20 percent.
But new technologies at the Cox Reservation aren't the only tribute to ECGA's mission of sustainability and efficiency. The farmhouse's old floor boards were ripped up and made into table and desk tops, adding a genuine old-time feel to the both the new and old wings of the building. Even the Indian shutters, which previously were intended to keep stray arrows from finding their way in through windows, are now inset to the wall above the old kitchen's hearth.
The effort to keep and reuse old components of the building, Becker said, and the ability to purchase the most modern, high-tech toys, reflects ECGA's goal of setting aside the past for a sustainable future. "That's all related," he said," to the end product of an efficient and healthy work space."
What: The Cox Reservation, off Route 133 in Essex, is the headquarters of the Essex County Greenbelt Association, which in 44 years has preserved over 200 historic properties and 12,000 acres of land that has scenic, ecological and agricultural significance. In the past two years the Cox farmhouse has undergone extensive renovations to become "green," and recently re-opened.
Where: 82 Eastern Ave., Essex
Special features: solar array that tracks the sun, underground cistern, spray-in insulation, recessed compact fluorescent lighting and an ultra-efficient natural gas furnace.
Things to do: The Cox Reservation is the site of several events throughout the year, including its annual meeting each May, Art in the Barn in June and the Fall Festival sometime in autumn. The events are free. A bevy of trails are also available for dog walkers and nature enthusiasts. Ancient orchard trees still produce apples and pears. Recently a chunk of shoreline along the Essex River eroded and revealed pilings from a centuries-old ferry landing, from when the "original way" went past the reservation.
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