This pre-Revolution tavern finds new function and energy efficiency through restoration and connection to a new modern addition.
Historic Structure
The Peletiah Morse Tavern opened in 1748 and once served as a family home, tavern, stage stop and rooming facility. Being located along a popularly-traveled route from Boston to New York, this tavern often housed weary travelers with ideas of revolution.
Today, more than two-and-a-half centuries later, the historic structure has a renewed purpose. It now serves as part of the new Riverbend School and Welcome Center in Natick Massachusetts.
Its white clapboard siding and historically-accurate Majesty double hung windows from Harvey Commercial Solutions retain the early colonial style of the tavern with simulated divided lite colonial grids, oil-rubbed bronze hardware and white frame exteriors. The impressive restoration maintains the character while providing high energy efficiency.
Modern Addition
While preserving the best parts of the old tavern, the design team at Piatt Associates also designed a new two-story, 4,200 sq. ft. addition. This provides the school campus ample space and a unique connection to both the past and future. The new facility houses science and math classrooms for middle school students, a large multi-purpose space for music, and a welcome center for prospective families.
This new modern addition, with vertical cedar plank siding and Tribute double hung, picture and awning windows with black painted exterior frames – adds a complimentary modern look uniting the two buildings.
Energy Efficiency
“Energy efficiency was a major concern for both the restoration and new addition,” says Jonathan Teixeira, project manager for Nauset Construction Corp, “and the glass package featured on the Tribute window makes them invaluable in our geographic area. Both of the Harvey windows we used have a great energy efficiency rating and come at the right price. It made our decision easy that the windows looked absolutely perfect in both buildings as well.”
The Results
The students now enjoy their historic yet new and improved school. The school now enjoys energy efficient windows that keep energy costs down. Connecting the two buildings is a short hallway. But also connecting them is a long 270-year history. A tavern once energized with the ideas of revolution is once again energized … this time with young minds to develop revolutionary ideas.
