Historic Sandwich Opera House needs roof gutters repaired

The city of Sandwich will be accepting bids this month for a roof gutter repair project on the historic Sandwich Opera House in downtown Sandwich.

Built in 1878, the Sandwich Opera House is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Grecian-style Sandwich Opera House was built for $12,000 in 1878 by Enos Doan.

The performing arts theater hosts shows throughout the year and the building also houses city offices. Architect Michael Brown inspected the building in May.

“Concern was expressed regarding the poor drainage of the gutter and downspouts along the east elevation of City Hall, also known as the Opera House,” Brown said in talking about the need for the inspection. “Moisture staining and open drywall seams were also observed at the wall-to-ceiling area along the east wall of the auditorium.”

His inspection revealed several problems.

“The gutter and downspouts are draining rather poorly as low spots are causing water to pond in the bottom of the gutter,” Brown said in the report.

In addition, he said the City Hall attic does not have proper ventilation and there are openings around the stage lighting bays that allow warm humid air from the auditorium to mix with the colder air in the attic.

“This is a perfect condition for condensation, which appears to be what is staining the walls near the ceiling of the auditorium,” the report said.

Brown said the cause for the low spots in the gutter appears to be a combination of rotting of wood that supports the gutter and many attempts over the years to improve the flow and leaking by adding product to the interior of the gutter.

“The buildup of product, mostly layers of waterproofing membranes and mastic, has added weight to the gutter and built in high and low spots, causing the water to pond and not drain efficiently,” Brown said in the report.

The building was renovated in 1895 and again from 1984 to 1986 after years of neglect. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.