The Town of Lancaster is fortunate indeed to enjoy a stunning collection of historic buildings surrounding its town green. The Prescott Building, along with the Town Hall, the Library and the Charles Bulfinch-designed First Church, define the civic and cultural heart of the town. Designed in 1906 by architect Herbert D. Hale, the former Center School has a classical façade that speaks to the Renaissance Revival sweeping the country at the turn of the century.

Lancaster has been a respectful steward of this archetypal Classical Revival structure, which has successfully evolved from more than a century of school use to new functionality housing town records, a history center and town offices. In 2011 our firm was engaged to perform a conditions assessment and feasibility study for reuse of the building and to design and direct the rehabilitation. The construction project, which began in early 2017 and was completed in early 2018, included the introduction of all new infrastructure, universal access via an added ramp and site redevelopment for improved parking. Additional modifications included a renovations to the basement, along with a water mitigation system to protect the finishes inside. All of the former school’s historic character defining features, both exterior and interior, were retained in the building renovation.