Geneva Historical Society: Prouty-Chew House

Introduction:

The Geneva Historical Society’s Prouty-Chew House is now an esteemed historical site located on South Main Street in Geneva, NY.

GHS decided to undertake a significant energy efficiency and HVAC modernization project to improve climate control across various spaces within the building, while also addressing some accessibility issues and general interior renovations.

Challenge:

This project was focused on upgrading the heating, cooling, and ventilation systems to ensure optimal environmental conditions,  particularly in sensitive areas like the archival spaces and gallery, while also modernizing the plumbing systems to enhance functionality and compliance with accessibility standards.

The existing steam and hot water boiler systems that were originally installed in the building offered a limited ability to control space temperature and humidity for their archived display items.

Solution:

Halco designed a clean heat approach (utilizing cold climate air source heat pumps [ccASHP’s) that would allow GHS to take advantage of New York State Clean Heat incentives as well as carefully installing these systems in a fashion that would not disrupt the historical integrity of the site.  This allowed this historic site to electrify their building, gain control over their sensitive archival spaces by using forced air systems, with the addition of  humidifiers and dehumidifiers. They also avoided the high energy costs of operating on an old fossil fuel system.  This case study shows that with careful planning and design, we can implement electrification efforts in historic sites and still preserve the historical integrity of the buildings. Halco also improved the plumbing facilities to meet the accessibility challenges the space had; This project included all necessary rough-in sanitary waste and venting — along with cold and hot water piping — to upgrade the existing men’s and women’s bathrooms. To enhance ADA accessibility, one fixture was removed from each bathroom and the remaining were replaced with new, modern alternatives. This involved the installation of two new water closets and two new lavatories, with all necessary plumbing modifications to accommodate the changes.

Conclusion:

This energy efficiency and HVAC modernization project at the Prouty-Chew House demonstrates a thoughtful approach to enhancing comfort and environmental control in a historically significant building. By integrating high-efficiency heat pump systems and carefully designed ductwork, the project successfully upgraded the climate control capabilities in key areas while preserving the integrity of the building’s historical features. Additionally, the modernization of the plumbing systems ensures that the building meets contemporary accessibility standards, contributing to the long-term sustainability and functionality of the cherished historical site.