RP Masiello
800.965.6501
info@rpmasiello.com
©2024 RP Masiello, Inc.
BOYLSTON OFFICE
P.O. Box 742
38 Main St., Boylston, MA 01505
Preservation & Restoration
379 Main Street
6 Chatham Street
Beechwood Inn
Mechanics Hall
84 Williams Street
Worcester Icehouse
Osborn Street School
Sears & Roebuck
6 Chatham Street
Beechwood Inn
Mechanics Hall
84 Williams Street
Worcester Icehouse
Osborn Street School
Sears & Roebuck
Building in New England means interacting with history. It is a master craft to simultaneously preserve the history of a community while creating vibrant spaces that bolster the local economy.
RP Masiello has extensive experience preserving and renovating historic structures, including those listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We understand how to bring these treasures into the modern age, preserving their historic public face and rejuvenating their core with new technology and mechanical systems. Here are a few examples of our historic building work in New England.
Worcester, Massachusetts
379 Main Street
RP Masiello was tasked with rebuilding a five and a three-story structure as well as complete historical restoration of the five-story Second Empire mansard building, bringing the façade back to the way it looked when built in 1870. A complete upgrade of the mechanical system was also completed. RP Masiello self-performed the framing upgrades and the underpinning of the facility to make way for the electrical upgrades. The interior was rebuilt into 55 units of micro-loft housing for students at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. The entire project was done 24/7 and completed in just 6 months.
Chatham Lofts
Built in 1892 by the YWCA as a boarding house for 50 women, this venerable six story masonry structure was also home to the Worcester Performing Arts Center and Foothills Theatre. In 2019, RP Masiello renovated and repurposed the building for 26 apartments now known as Chatham Lofts.
Chatham Lofts represent a sophisticated urban residential apartment community in the heart of Worcester’s Theater District, offering one-of-a-kind units highlighting the building’s historic architectural features. This project was recognized with a Silver Hammer Award for historic restoration from the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. This project was also awarded a 2022 Worcester Preservation Award.
Worcester Farmhouse (Beechwood Inn)
The old farmhouse at Worcester State Hospital opened in 1895 to house 60 patients who worked the farm as part of their therapy. In the 1990s, the Georgian Revival red-brick farmhouse was purchased by the adjacent Beechwood Hotel. RP Masiello was selected to restore the façade and renovate the interior for use as modern office space.
Mechanics Hall
Upgrade of facilities and mechanical systems at Mechanics Hall, built in 1857, and widely regarded as the premiere pre-Civil War concert hall in the United States.
84 Williams Street (Becker College President’s House)
This 6,500 sq. ft. Tudor style mansion, circa 1900, was built as a grand residence but became part of the Becker College campus in the 1990s. It was divided up for offices and administrative spaces. In 2019, Becker engaged RP Masiello to bring the building back to its turn-of-the century grandeur, while modernizing it to serve as the new President’s House.
454 Grove Street (Worcester Icehouse)
Located near the corner of Grove and West Boylston Streets, the 10,000 sq. ft. brick building stored ice cut from Indian Lake for decades. RP Masiello was selected to transform the historic structure into a viable commercial building. The project included maintaining much of the brick façade, while fully redesigning and rebuilding the interior. We also added a mezzanine creating a two-level space for a restaurant and entertainment venue. The project was recognized in 1992 with a Silver Hammer Award for historic restoration from the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Fall River, Massachusetts
Osborn Street School
The Osborn Street School was built in 1893 to replace an earlier schoolhouse on the same site. With a high-pitched slate roof and intricate masonry facade, the building was designed by Frank Irving Cooper, an architect who designed many other schools throughout New England. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The city closed the school in 2008. RP Masiello has been engaged to preserve the historic façade, replace the roof, and renovate the interior for use by the Children & Family Services agency in Fall River.
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Sears & Roebuck
For more than 100 years, the Sears & Roebuck building on Main Street in Greenfield was a retail powerhouse. Over time, as industries and economies shifted, Sears closed down in Greenfield. RP Masiello was engaged to restore the 36,000 sq. ft. building to economic life, while preserving its historic nature. Our team stabilized the aging structure with new supports. Our masons took care to match 100-year-old-bricks for the exterior. We preserved and restored the old tin ceilings. Our own craftsmen trimmed the interior with millwork crafted to match the building’s 19th century design. The building is now occupied by the Center for Human Development, which provides integrated healthcare for families in Franklin County. The facility delivers primary, emotional, and dental care. This project was awarded a 2022 Paul & Niki Tsongas Award honoring the very best in historic preservation throughout the Commonwealth.
