2026-02-06 Review of Proposed Renovations - Historic Context (1).pdf

February 6, 2026

BUILDING CONSERVATION ASSOCIATES INC

Alburg Springs LPOE Alburg Spring, Vermont

Building Renovations

Historic Treatment Review of Alterations

Prepared For

Schwartz Silver Architects

Prepared By

Building Conservation Associates, Inc.

10 Langley Road, Suite 202

Newton Centre, MA 02459

PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. This is controlled unclassified information. Do not remove the CUI marking. Properly destroy or return document when no longer needed.

Alburg Springs LPOE Renovation

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Historic Background

Constructed in 1937, the U.S. Land Port of Entry (LPOE) at Alburg Springs, Vermont is located along

Alburg Springs Road, on the south side of the United States and Canada border. The main structure is a one-and-a-half-story gable roof, brick-clad building with a hip-roof canopy over a drive lane. A gable roof, two-bay garage is located just to the south of the primary building. The property rises steeply to the rear of the building, with the garage sited slightly higher than the main structure.

The LPOE at Alburg Springs is one of several extant examples of a wave of border related inspection stations1 constructed along the northern and southern United States borders from 1930 to 1943. The main building and garage were constructed at the same time and arranged on the site as a related complex.

Until the 1920s, the need for border enforcement at road crossings was not a major concern as most immigration and importation occurred at water-based ports of entry or could be regulated at larger cities and towns served by the railroad. With the increased availability and reliability of automobile traffic, crossing the borders on established roads became a more routine event that ultimately required more focused enforcement of immigration and importation activities. As a stop gap measure, temporary facilities were provided at the borders, but these facilities were inadequate to meet the requirements of illegal immigration and smuggling, particularly of alcohol following the ratification of the 18th amendment.2

A 1928 report by H.A. Benner of the Bureau of Customs and J.L. Hughes of the Bureau of Immigration identified deficiencies in the existing facilities and recommended purpose-built inspection stations at 48 border crossing locations. The report encouraged the Federal Government to provide facilities that would be sited at the border, configured so as to provide a high level of service to the public, and provide for living quarters for officers. Coupled with the 1926 Public Buildings Act, this plan projected additional federal construction and a visible federal presence in often remote locations. The design and construction of these facilities took place between 1930 and 1943 and thus provided additional economic development activity within the New Deal.3 For Alburg Springs, the 1928 report recommended a Type 1 building (3 bay) be constructed, noting that 19,582 automobiles entered the

U.S. at this location for the fiscal year 1927.4

1 While these border crossing sites are now called “Land Ports of Entry (LPOE)”, they were originally referenced as “inspection stations” or “border crossing stations”. For the purposes of this narrative, the terms are generally synonymous with reference to the primary structure on the site.

2 Combined Customs and Immigration Inspection at Land Crossings along the International Borders, 1930-1943, 2014, National Park

Service, Multiple Property Documentation Form, DocumentID 64501205, page 3.

3 Ibid.

4 U.S. Inspection Station – Alburg Springs, Vermont, 2014, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Form, DocumentID 14000607.

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While there were some slight variations within each type, the exterior designs typically reflected regional styles such that New England inspection stations were all designed in the Colonial Revival Style5 with (typically) a brick body for the core structure and clapboarded additions (e.g., garage/inspection bays, residences, etc.).

The Alburg Springs LPOE is individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places (2014, #14000607) and part of a Multiple Property Documentation effort encompassing all 1930s era border related inspection stations (2014 - #64501205).

GSA Historic Property Procedures

GSA is dedicated to managing, maintaining, and improving historic properties in a way that preserves their unique, character-defining features and upholds the qualities that make them eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

GSA recognizes three levels of zoning based upon integrity and significance of historic and architectural features.

Zone 1 – Restoration

These areas exhibit unique or distinctive qualities, such as original materials or character defining features. The overall character of Zone 1 areas should be retained as a high priority.

Zone 2 – Rehabilitation

These may be spaces or areas exhibiting distinguishing qualities and original materials or configurations but may be less ornate or located within secondary or non-public areas.

Treatments in Zone 2 should retain original features to the extent possible; where new work is implemented, materials and design should be as sensitive to the original details as practical.

Zone 3 – Renovation

These are areas whose renovation and modification would not represent a loss of historic character. Treatments in Zone 3 may incorporate extensive changes, but new work should incorporate details sympathetic to the original historic character of the building.

The 2019 Building Preservation Plan (BPP) identified the exterior of the Alburg Springs LPOE as Zone 1 and most of the interior as Zone 2. Zone 3 areas included the basement of the main building and the interior of the garage. This memo evaluates the proposed design development (DD) for renovations to the Alburg Springs LPOE within the context of the historic zones identified in the Building Preservation

Plan.

5 Regional building designs seen at other border related inspection stations of this period include Spanish Colonial Revival, Pueblo Revival, and Frontier Revival.

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Exterior Renovations

Existing Conditions

The 2019 BPP identified the exterior of the Alburg Springs LPOE as Zone 1 - Restoration, with a strong preference for restoration of existing and original features. The exterior of the building retains original character defining features and is historically significant in design and function. Any work undertaken at the exterior should incorporate retention of existing features and restoration of missing features as key success criteria.

The one-and-a-half-story core is rectangular in plan, massed beneath a gable roof, that runs parallel to Alburg Springs Road. To the rear of the rectangular core is a small gable roof addition secured to the base of the building’s chimney. This small addition, which provided space for a public toilet room, was not part of the original construction plan, but was commissioned during construction and should effectively be considered “original”. The main building is wood framed construction, clad with red brick laid in running bond. The structure is trimmed in white painted wood, with cast stone sills at the windows. The small rear addition is clad in vinyl “clapboards” covering the original wood clapboards. The six-over-six windows retain original, double hung, true-divided lite wood sash and frames. At the attic level, the gable ends feature a hopper style lunette window, also with true-divided lites.

The primary building entrance is located under the hipped roof canopy and accessed by a small concrete step and landing. An accessible entry leading to public toilet rooms is located on the south elevation under a small metal canopy roof. An additional, original entry door is located on the north elevation.

There are two bulkhead openings to the rear (west) and two small areaways located on the north elevation.

With the living quarters function no longer required, alterations in the 1980s removed a vestibule at the front of the building, replacing that structure with concrete steps entering the building. A second, accessible entrance leading to public toilet rooms was provided through the existing south entrance. During that work, one original window from the vestibule was relocated to the northeast corner of the north elevation.

Proposed changes

To expand the operational and public spaces in the LPOE, two one-story, shed-roof additions are proposed. One addition is to be located along the south side of the building, and the second addition is to be located at the rear. The locations of these additions help retain the overall historic appearance of the historic building, especially when approached from the north. The south addition will be set back from the east elevation of the original structure, creating a reveal of approximately

8” to create a visual differentiation between the new addition and original building plane.

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The addition at the rear will replace the existing small toilet room (decommissioned) addition as well as two bulkhead structures at the rear. A single bulkhead basement access point will be incorporated at the southwest corner of the foundation.

The proposed additions are to be treated with clapboards, consistent with the treatment of the public toilet room addition (1937) as well as the garage. The clapboards for this new work will be a cementitious product and match the original exposure to the extent possible. The original clapboards on the garage remain and original exposure can be pulled from this information. The exposure is approximately 6” which is wider than typically seen (and available) in modern building products.

This white clapboard treatment of dependencies is consistent with similar additions at inspection stations from the same time period such as Orient, Maine. Type 2 inspection stations (slightly larger than the Type 1 of Alburg Springs) featured a brick core with garage/inspection bay wings flanking the core. These dependencies were also treated with clapboard siding to distinguish them from the primary building. Richford, West Berkshire, and Canaan are extant examples of Type 2 inspection stations with clapboarded dependencies located along the Vermont border.

To support the transactional requirements of entry to the U.S., a pre-fabricated, clapboarded inspection booth is proposed along the east end of the canopy. Originally, the Alburg Springs inspection station housed the operational function of the site within a brick vestibule at the front of the building (removed circa 1981). While the location of the proposed booth effectively fills in the east end of the canopy at its east elevation and virtually eliminates the open feel of the canopy, the booth is a separate structure and completely reversible. Importantly, the placement of this booth retains the vehicular passageway under the canopy as originally designed.

All windows for the building are 6-over-6 true-divided-lite, double-hung wooden sash. For security reasons, all sash will require upgrades. The proposed sash will effectively mimic the appearance of true-divided lite sash but provide the required ballistic and energy ratings consistent with modern security and energy standards. The existing cast stone sills will be retained for all windows in the brick core. The existing windows and openings at the ground floor, south elevation will be eliminated as a result of the construction of the new south addition.

A one-story shed roof addition will be constructed at the south elevation of the original building.

The exterior brick wall at this first-floor location will be incorporated into the addition as a partition wall, but the brick will no longer be visible. The existing brick cladding and original window openings at the second floor (above the addition roof) will remain unaltered.

The roofs of the additions will be flat seam metal. The placement of the roof of the south addition will not negatively impact the sill and window opening details of the second-floor south window openings. A standing seam copper snow course will be located along the eaves of the main building.

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This replaces the existing flat metal snow course and reflects a condition noted in the original construction documents.

Currently, there is only a gutter (aluminum) along the rear eave of the building. This project will incorporate half-round copper gutters and round copper downspouts on the eaves of the building

(front and back), the canopy (north and south), the eaves of the new additions, and the eaves of the garage.

The proposed changes at the exterior are rendered below and shown in comparison to the current views of the original building. (Images taken in 2018.)

2018 - South elevation looking northwest.

2025 - Proposed impact of addition at south as well as inspection booth addition at east end of canopy

2018 - North elevation looking south. 2025 - Proposed impact of addition at rear (west) and inspection booth addition at east end of canopy.

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Interior Renovations

Existing Conditions

As originally constructed, the interior of the Alburg Springs LPOE provided living quarters for each of the Customs Officers and Immigration Officers. The northern and southern halves of the building are bilaterally symmetrical with a kitchen and living space on the ground floor and sleeping and bathroom facilities on the second floor. While the original building has been previously modified with respect to this original residential use, this mirrored arrangement of the interior spaces has generally been retained with two offices on the ground floor separated by a mirrored stairway and an entry hall connecting the two spaces.

The northern office retains access to a kitchen space at the rear of the first floor. The original kitchen space on the southern side has been converted to two public toilet rooms with access from the south entrance.

Each of the first-floor office spaces includes a stairway to the upper level. The living quarters arrangement is also mirrored at the second floor with each side holding two rooms with closets and the remains of a full bathroom. The tub, sink, and toilet of each bathroom were removed after

November 2006.6 The doors at the top of the stairs that separated the two living quarters also remain.

With the exception of the area renovated for the public toilet rooms, much of the original interior trim details remain. The spaces feature unprofiled wood architraves at the doors and windows and raised panel doors with brass hardware. The upper level retains original wood strip flooring while the lower level has been treated with sheet vinyl floors. Early ceiling light fixtures remain in the upstairs rooms.

In the ground floor office spaces, modern vinyl cove base has been applied over the original wood baseboards, leaving the top 3+” and profiled cap of the original baseboards visible. The flooring in the kitchen space as well as the corridor for the public toilet rooms is industrial carpet; the toilet room floors have ceramic tile.

The ceilings throughout the ground and second floor spaces are plaster with the exception of the entry hall which appears to be composite acoustic panels. A small hatch at the top of the stairs of the upper level provides access to the attic space where the dimensional lumber framing is visible.

Despite the overall change of use (expansion of office use and removal of residential use) and circa

1981 renovations, the interior is approximately 75% intact with retention of original architectural details, materials, and spatial arrangement.

6 National Register Nomination Form, US Inspection Station, Alburg Springs, VT, 2014, National Park Service, DocumentID

14000607, page 26, photo dated November 2006.

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Proposed changes

Interior changes are required in order to provide programmatic support for modern Customs and

Border Protection operations. The northern half of the first floor will remain relatively unaltered.

The office, kitchen, and stairway elements at the northern half of the building will remain in spatial arrangement and function with minor alterations related to security requirements. Existing windows will receive new ballistic rated sash located in the existing window openings (with the exception of those openings blocked by the new additions). All original wood details such as baseboard, doors, and architraves will remain, be salvaged and reincorporated as appropriate, or be replicated to match existing.

The new ballistic rated sash are deeper in plan in order to meet the necessary security requirements. This will project the new window opening into the space by approximately 2”-3”. As the existing plaster walls will be removed to introduce insulation, this change in dimension will be effectively hidden with the addition of 3”-4” of cellulose insulation and new gypsum wall board.

Once complete, the original architraves and stool/sill elements will be reinstalled, and the window and door trim details will be restored per the architectural drawings and details. Where possible, existing (original) 6-panel wood doors are being retained. Security and accessibility requirements do not allow for the retention of all original doors; where replacements are required the 6-panel detail is being replicated.

At the south half of the original structure, substantial changes are necessary to better serve mission requirements. These changes include the additions to the south and west as well as the full removal of the stairway on the south half of the building. New partition walls will be incorporated on the south side to provide a reception space and holding cell. A new public entrance will be cut into the original wood-framed, brick-clad exterior walls of the south elevation.

At the second floor, there will be minor alterations to the location of partition walls in order to provide necessary programmatic use of the space. The wood details for baseboard, doors, and architraves will be restored or replicated as necessary to retain these original finish details. As noted previously, the windows at the second floor and attic will be replaced with units provided the requisite security and energy requirements. The new windows will be a close visual match to the existing.

The wood strip flooring in the southeast room will be removed and replaced with vinyl composition tile due to the new programmatic requirements in this space supporting IT functions.

The following pages graphically illustrate the existing interior spaces with the proposed interior spaces. An overlay highlighting the retention of original elements is included for both the first and second floors.

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2018 Spatial Arrangement, first floor; original building core outlined in red.

2025 Proposed Spatial Arrangement with additions, first floor;

original building core outlined in red.

Original interior elements, first floor highlighted in color

Proposed spatial alterations shaded grey

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2018 Spatial Arrangement, second floor; original building core outlined in red.

2025 Proposed Spatial Arrangement with additions, second floor; original building core outlined in red.

Some interior walls at the second floor will be shifted slightly to accommodate required space programming and necessary security upgrades.

The following images illustrate original and existing finish details at the interior spaces. These details are expected to be retained and restored or replicated as appropriate to retain the original historic character defining features.

Typical original details, first floor, north. Details include wood baseboard (partially covered with vinyl cove base), 6-panel doors, wood architraves at doors, bronze hardware.

Typical original details, first floor, south. Details include wood architraves and sill/stool at windows.

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Typical original details, second floor, southeast. Details include wood baseboard, 6-panel doors, wood architraves at doors, bronze hardware.

Typical original details, second floor, southwest. Details include wood architraves and sill/stool at windows.

Assessment of Proposed Changes

The 1937 Alburg Springs LPOE is an historic building and is significant in its role of providing a Federal presence at the international border during a time of increasing mobility of the public with improved roads and access to automobiles, changes in immigration criteria and operations, and increased smuggling concerns. The Alburg Springs LPOE retains original structure, spatial relationships, and general site context as the face of the U.S. government at the border. Just as the requirements of border enforcement have evolved, the original building must also evolve to support those requirements.

As stated in the 2019 BPP, where programmatic or functional requirements require modifications to the building, thoughtful planning and design should retain massing, design characteristics, and original materials. The proposed alterations meet that requirement to the extent possible.

The massing associated with the additions is subordinate to and sympathetic with the overall design.

The space to the rear of the building – less visible to the public – has been thoughtfully and carefully utilized to provide additional operational space. The additions are proposed to be white clapboard which is consistent with small additions at this type of border related inspection station at other locations along the northern US border. Overall, the alterations at the exterior are consistent with the

Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Moreover, the additions are technically reversible although that action would require reversing planned alterations at the exterior walls.

The proposed interior alterations are expected to re-use and restore original wood features or replicate these details as appropriate and necessary. These features include window and door trim details, retention and restoration of wood flooring where feasible, and general retention of most of the

© BUILDING CONSERVATION ASSOCIATES INC Page 12 spatial arrangement. Alterations to the space at the first floor are necessary to support the public functions associated with the LPOE function.

A comprehensive rehabilitation project is expected to thoughtfully incorporate required mechanical and security elements in a less visible but still functional manner, decreasing the overall visual impact of these modern interventions at the exterior of the building.