Replacement Wooden Sash and Frames With Insulating Glass and Integral Muntins

The Lawrence-Wentworth House, originally the home of one of Lowell's antebellum mill owners, has had numerous alterations and changes in use since its construction in 1831. Its original Greek Revival street facade was altered sometime after the Civil War to such an extent that it appears more Victorian than Greek Revival. Beginning at the turn of the century, the single family residence was converted to a boarding house, a succession of commercial uses, and finally to offices for a social service organization. Sometime during this series of changes, the Victorian double-hung wooden sash on the first floor were replaced with mill finish aluminum jalousies as shown in the above photograph of the rear facade. The Victorian wooden sash, consisting of a two-over-two (2/2) light configuration, survived on the second floor. After experiencing several years of sizable increases in energy costs, coupled with the inherently poor thermal performance of the jalousie sash on the first floor, the owner, Unitas, Inc. , a service organization to Lowell's Hispanic community, came to the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission requesting assistance in replacing these visually obtrusive and thermally inadequate windows. Design Problem