Riverside Cemetery Hearse House

The Riverside Cemetery Hearse House appears to date from about 1937 or 1938 and was probably constructed from lumber milled in a local sawmill from downed trees following the floods of 1937 or 1938.  This structure has historic significance to the Town of Royalston and if repaired and made structurally sound, it would serve as some needed storage space for both the DPW and the Cemetery Commission.

The primary risk, determined during a July 2016 inspection, is that of the building continue its lean toward the east until it fails and collapses.  The exterior of the building needs to be lifted up so that new sills can be properly installed as an extension to the current floor and floor joist system.  The exterior can then be placed back on these new sills so that the entire structure is again intact.

All painted surfaces should be scrapped, replaced where necessary, and painted or stained.  The roof should be replaced.  Consideration might be given to modern, fireproof materials, that mimic slate or wood shakes that might have been put on the building originally.

The Building Committee and the DPW has had some work done in this building to stop the lean and stabilize the building until sufficient funding can be identified to restore it.