Worcester County Courthouse
Project Name: Worcester County Courthouse
Location: Worcester, MA
Noteworthy: National Register of Historic Places
M&A’s Scope: Restoration of the radius stained glass windows in the grand staircase
Owner: National Register of Historic Places
Architect: The Architectural Team, Inc.
General Contractor: Tocci Building Corporation
Awards: Jack Kemp Award – Urban Land Institute
Introduction
“The transformation of the vacant former Worcester Courthouse into a new, inclusive housing community will be a major building block in downtown Worcester’s renaissance.”
Chrystal Kornegay, MassHousing Executive Director
The Worcester County Courthouse, originally built in 1845 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is now Courthouse Lofts. This is the result of a historic rehabilitation and adaptive re-use initiative completed with the skill and talent of local subcontractors and minority- and women-owned businesses.
The courthouse renovation project was hailed as a very important achievement for Worcester because the building had been vacant for more than a decade and represents the revitalization of the north end of Main Street and the Lincoln Square area.
Courthouse Lofts features over a hundred residences and includes a public museum honoring the life of cyclist Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor who trained and competed on the streets of Worcester. Taylor broke seven world records and becoming the second black world champion athlete in history.
Work Completed by M&A
Window Restoration
The windows were all gently radiused to match the staircase, and the transoms were a heavily hammer-patterned glass which could not be replicated, but M&A was able to epoxy, thus preserving the visual unity and appearance of the antique glazing.
A further challenge was the restoration of the transoms, because the central point of the sash design had weakened and required stabilization in order to maintain the correct angles so that the original panes of glass could be refit into their original homes.
All of the sashes and transoms were painted on the exterior, and on the interior were stained to match the surrounding casework and paneling.
M&A is proud to be part of the restoration of the historic Worcester County Courthouse. It is incredibly rewarding to work on a project that preserves history and provides homes to Worcester families, including families in need. We’re thrilled to have worked with Tocci to deliver on the vision for the city of Worcester and for MassHousing and the incredible work they do.
