William H. Miner built things to last.

He just didn't figure on all those pigeons.

But fortunately, from a preservation standpoint, two feet of pigeon guano on the floors is one of the relatively few things standing in the way of restoring the old McGregor Powerhouse, one of the few surviving features of the elaborate network of hydroelectric projects built the millionaire-philanthropist in northern Clinton County in the early part of the century.

"The powerhouse building was well constructed and, generally, is in very good condition," states an engineering study compiled for the Town of Altona and wind-turbine developer Noble Environmental Power. "There is no significant deterioration of a structural nature."

The study, an evaluation of the four-story, Spanish-mission-style building located at Feinberg Park off Devil's Den Road in Altona, was completed last October by Argus Architecture and Preservation P.C. of Troy, Clark Engineering and Surveying P.C. of New Lebanon, N.Y., and Lewis Engineering of Albany.

MANY OBSTACLES

The report paves the way for a restoration plan that will begin with a $180,000 historic-preservation grant from Noble that was secured as part of the permitting process for the company locating 65 wind turbines in the Altona Wind Park along Rand Hill near the Military Turnpike.

The study sees a substantial payoff for restoring the brown, stucco-coated building, which is accented with dormers and three tall chimneys on a seemingly precarious perch on a concrete bridge-like foundation in the middle of the swiftly flowing South Branch of the Great Chazy River.

"The McGregor Powerhouse complex is an architecturally and historically significant facility, which is built like a tank and has a stunning setting. It has great potential," the report concludes. "This facility may have potential to become a star attraction, not only for the town but also for the North Country."

This isn't to say there aren't other obstacles in addition to the pigeon infestation. There are materials suspected of containing asbestos in the building, including roofing mastic, some of the remaining heating equipment, plaster, window-glazing compound and possibly flooring on the second floor.

"Lead-containing paint is almost a certainty," the report states. "An asbestos and lead-paint survey is needed for the powerhouse."

The concrete foundations that have been subject to scouring by the river need to be repaired, and there are also leaks in the roof and walls that present an increasingly serious threat.

"This type of deterioration will continue and likely speed up over time, eventually undermining the structural integrity of the walls," the report states, adding that leaks also threaten the wood roof structure and floors on the upper stories. "Although deterioration of the concrete structures is progressing, there is no structural failure at this time, due to their substantial construction."

BALL GETS ROLLING

At an estimated $1.5 to $2.1 million, the cost of total restoration is a high one. But the Noble grant finally gets the ball rolling after decades of uncertainty as to whether the historic landmark could be saved, and if so, what could be done with it.