Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Historic Tavern Being Converted into Classrooms, Offices

  • 08/30/17

RiverbendSouth Natick, Mass. – Nauset Construction recently began work on a project that will transform an 18th-century tavern into a new facility used by the middle school on the campus of the Riverbend School in Natick. Located at 33 Eliot Street, the completed project will provide new classroom, office and multi-purpose space for Riverbend’s expanding campus.

Designed by Piatt Associates, the project includes the conversion of the Peletiah Morse Tavern, which was built in 1748 to serve as a residence, tavern and stage stop for travelers on the Old Hartford Road, as well as the construction of a two-story, 4,200 square foot addition. The existing addition to the tavern (circa 1901) was demolished to make way for the new building. When completed, the new facilities will house science and math classrooms for middle schoolers, a large multi-purpose space for music instruction, a Welcome Center for prospective Riverbend School families, and administrative offices. 

In order to retain the historic character of the tavern, historically accurate replica windows and a hand hewn front door will be installed, and the wood siding, trim, and masonry will reflect the style of the original buildings. The tavern’s first floor will be lowered for added ceiling height, a second-floor ceiling will be exposed to reveal the original beams, and a faux chimney will be re-built in the tavern using the bricks from an original, which had previously been demolished. In addition, the entire MEP and fire protection systems in the tavern will be replaced.

The project is not without challenges, as the school will remain open during the entire construction process, including the remaining summer months. “Working on a highly sensitive, fully operational school campus requires strict adherence to the safety procedures that we have developed and honed through our extensive work with both occupied school and medical facilities,” said Nauset president Anthony Papantonis.

The project is anticipated to be completed by mid-December.

For more information, visit  piattarchitecture.com/ or  www.nauset.com.

Featured

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • Kimball International Releases Curated Design Support Program

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of a new end-to-end design support program, DesignSuite. According to a news release, its goal is to guide architecture & design professionals and dealer partners through the process from vision to specification.

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part I

    We asked, you answered, and the results are in! Last year, we put out a call for submissions to collect our readership’s opinion on trends and predictions for K–12 and higher education facilities in 2026.