[MassHistPres] Adaptive reuse models for large rural inn/school complex

[Michele P. Barker]

I'm working with a community that's trying to figure out what to do with a
historic inn/school complex. There's an original late 19th-century
Shingle-style building with a large 1950s brick addition that was used as a
private school. The complex includes living quarters, dining facilities,
classroom and gymnasium space, and totals about 99,000 square feet on about
6.6 acres of land. It has been vacant for about 30 years and is in very bad
shape. A "Friends" group is trying to find feasible new uses for the
building, and has been considering a variety of options, including retreat
center, senior housing, life-care/assisted living facility, and more. The
problem with coming up with a feasible adaptive re-use is that this building
is in a very rural town (population under 1,500) that does not have much in
the way of in-town businesses or services and is not located conveniently to
major highways. The town presently owns the building, but does not appear to
want to use it for any municipal use. So I'm looking for examples of
successful projects-of any kind-in similar situations. If you're aware of
any successful projects-profit or nonprofit-for a similarly-sized complex in
a rural setting, please pass that information along to me.

 

Thanks!

 

Michele

 

Michele P. Barker

 

Circuit Rider

617-999-3256

mpbarker at preservationmass.org

Preservation Massachusetts

www.preservationmass.org

The Massachusetts Circuit Rider Program is a partnership of Preservation
Massachusetts and the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Northeast
Office.

National Trust for Historic Preservation

www.preservationnation.org

 

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