Brookfield's Historic Blanchard Mansion Has a New 21st Century Heating System

Brookfield 's historic C.P. Blanchard House, which dates to 1885, has been outfitted with a 21st century heating and cooling system. The 19th century mansion, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Elm Hill Farm Historic District in 1991, was once the centerpiece of one of the largest farms in the area and home to the owners of Elsie the Cow, prize winner of the 1939 World's Fair and later trademark of the Borden Company. The mansion is now operated as the Elm Hill Center by Rehabilitative Resources, Inc., the Sturbridge based non-profit organization that took over day-to-day management of the Blanchard Means Foundation in January, 2009.

According to Bonita Keefe-Layden, chief executive officer of Rehabilitative Resources, Inc., the directors of RRI and the Blanchard Means Foundation decided to upgrade the heating system in the mansion at around the same the property was transferred to RRI in March, 2010, due to the age of the existing heating system, the absence of heat on the second floor and the organization's plans to expand use of the facility so the property can become self-supporting.

Keefe-Layden says the heating system was put out to bid with a number of key determinants; among them were cost, energy effectiveness and minimal damage to the structure. “Although there were no specific guidelines we had to follow, I wanted to keep the historic look of the rooms as best I could,” she said. “I selected a local company, Crowley Fuel, from North Brookfield , because they gave me the most comprehensive proposal, they worked with me on controlling the cost of the project and they had good references.”

Crowley Fuel's owner, Bob LaFlamme says he was excited at the prospect of taking on the challenge of modernizing the heating and cooling system in the historic property. “What made this project so interesting was the opportunity to employ new technologies to provide for the heating needs of this beautiful building in an efficient manner without making drastic changes to the structure.”

Crowley replaced the existing furnace with a First Company HBXB-HW air handler unit, which supplies forced hot air to most of the first floor. The heart of the new system is comprised of two Peerless WBV-04 oil-fired boilers with a Honeywell control system that have a total heating capacity of 262,000 BTU and an efficiency rating of 87%. A new, programmable thermostat was installed in a central room and ductwork was insulated to deliver more heat through the system.

Crowley also installed a 330-gallon vertical steel oil tank with two sleeved oil lines running to each boiler, along with a SuperStor indirect storage tank to meet domestic hot water needs. According to LaFlamme, “this arrangement has the added benefit of allowing boilers to run for short periods of time during summer months when they would normally remain cool and damp, so they will deteriorate less quickly.”

The original plans called for the installation of 8 zones of forced hot water baseboard to rooms on the second floor using plastic tubing for supply and return piping, but the plans changed considerably when RRI determined they were going to limit their use of the building to the first two floors. “As soon as we discovered that we had access to the third floor,” says LaFlamme, “we modified the plans to include a hydro air system for heating and cooling the second floor. The insulated ductwork that now inhabits that space allowed us to provide a superior level of comfort for guests using the second floor suites.”

During a recent walk-through of the completed project, Keefe-Layden said she is delighted with the end result. “The completed project is so much quieter and less drafty than the original system.I was surprised at the size of the venting that runs through the attic, but this is an area that cannot be used for anything else by code. We succeeded in keeping the look of the historic rooms, we kept the same antique floor vents and we were able to match them where we added new ones.” She said the heat on the second floor now arrives through vents in the ceiling that blend into the color of the ceilings.

“The work on the lower level and the basement is unobtrusive and very neatly done,” says Keefe-Layden. “I am impressed that the entire duct system is wrapped to be fuel efficient; this should result in drastically lower fuel costs. The new system will make the house comfortable for year-round use.” The project also included installation of a 63,000 BTU fan coil for heating the basement and workshop area.

Now that the heating and cooling system has been upgraded, Rehabilitative Resources, Inc. can proceed with its plans for expanded use of the historic facility for community events, retreats, gatherings, family reunions and parties. In the year and a half since RRI took over day-to-day management of the facility, Elm Hill Center has been used for numerous activities that enrich the lives of people in the surrounding communities, including a summer program for people with developmental disabilities, a two-week program for adults with autism, and a Memorial Day musical event. A “Spooky Walk” was held last October, and another one is scheduled for later this month.

The Therapeutic Riding Program makes use of the stables and riding areas accessible to people with disabilities and expansion of the therapeutic gardens into a fully wheelchair accessible botanical garden is a priority.

Future plans for the Elm Hill Center include replacing the roof on the mansion, the two structures in the garden area – both of which date from the 1700s – and the small livestock portion of one of the barns. Rehabilitative Resources, Inc. will continue to accommodate a diverse cross-section of the community with diverse needs, and will expand its fundraising activities to fund more improvements to the property and grounds so they can offer more services and use of the property to people with disabilities.