Have you noticed how often French words or phrases are used when English equivalents are unavailable, not descriptive, or just not very nice? Here is an example. Abattoir is a more elegant synonym for the cringeworthy, slaughterhouse.

    There is an abattoir in Sandisfield. A humble structure, it was part of the venerable farm at Spectacle Pond. Estimated at almost 200 years old, the weathered building is a significant historical asset, one of the last its kind in Massachusetts. It is a reminder of another time here, a direct connection to Sandisfield’s history. The abattoir will be saved.

    The Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the state owner and caretaker of the property, has a plan to rehabilitate the abattoir in place and to make it available to the public for educational purposes.

    The original farm dates to about 1760 when Richard Adams and his adult sons and families of Preston, Conn., settled Beech Plain section. They established one of the first mills in Sandisfield near Spectacle Pond and the source of the Clam River.

    After several generations of Adams, the farm passed in 1856 to in-laws, the Hawleys. They managed operations until 1909 when patriarch, William Hawley died. Mr. Hawley had expanded the property, ultimately reaching 900 acres including a large portion of Lower Spectacle Pond. His in-laws, the Rowleys were in charge for about 75 more years. This was the longest continuously running farm in town history, spanning some 225 years. Moreover, it was under the auspices of only one extended family which is unique and also amazing.

    The mill closed by the mid-1980s and the farmstead went dormant. After matriarch Ruth Rowley died in 2004 the various heirs could not agree about what to do. A controversial plan from a developer to build upscale houses on the property was averted when, with the approval of the family and the Sandisfield Select Board, the State took title in 2007.

    Everything including many farm buildings, the pond and a pristine section of old growth forest was incorporated into contiguous Otis State Forest. Renamed as “Spectacle Pond Farm,” the land automatically qualified for permanent protection under Massachusetts constitutional Article 97 with the DCR in charge.

    DCR determined that six buildings, some with historic significance were deemed unsafe and were removed. A large 18th century English-style construction barn was stabilized in 2019 in the hopes that it could be rehabilitated. Its future is uncertain. Two old houses and a couple of sheds in the remaining group are beyond salvage and will probably be removed. Timing is yet to be announced.

    A DCR representative told the Times, “This abattoir is the rarest and most stable of all the buildings there and is the only known remaining abattoir in DCR’s portfolio.”

    The Massachusetts Historical Commission’s statewide inventory includes less than a dozen of this type which speak to centuries of agricultural tradition in Massachusetts.

    “The structure will be preserved as part of the historic landscape but not for active reuse. Potential uses include storage, interpretive signage and possibly scheduled tours,” the agency said. “DCR has lost many timber frame buildings in recent decades, especially in Western Massachusetts. This project will help to preserve a tangible artifact from the agricultural history of Sandisfield and the region.”

    Fabric from the other period buildings slated for removal, such as clapboards, will be used where possible. A major component in the slaughter process, the cauldron, was previously removed. Hopefully it or a facsimile can be found. Otherwise, much of the original apparatus in the abattoir is intact. Also, certain classic farmstead objects from the Rowley Farm period may be restored for display.

    Kronenberg & Sons Restoration of Middletown, Conn., a highly regarded contractor, is doing the work. The company, a third-generation family owned and operated firm, specializes in the “restoration, preservation and adaptive re-use of period structures.” Estimated to cost about $500,000, the project is expected to be completed this fall.