Three Epsilon projects have been selected to receive 2025 Historic Preservation Awards from Preservation Massachusetts. These projects reflect the adaptive reuse of historic buildings across the Commonwealth, balancing long-term preservation with contemporary needs.
All three projects utilized state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits. Epsilon provided historic tax credit consulting services, including building assessments, preparation of state and federal historic tax credit applications and National Register nominations, and coordination with the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the National Park Service.
The Custom House Block in Boston will receive the Paul & Niki Tsongas Award, the highest honor presented by Preservation Massachusetts, reserved for projects and people demonstrating an exceptional commitment to preservation in the Commonwealth.
The Historic Round Hill Summit project in Northampton and the Earl Company Factory in Leominster will each receive the Mayor Thomas M. Menino Legacy Award, which recognizes transformative projects that foster community engagement, create partnerships, and reinvest in the best elements of the past for the benefit of future generations.
The awards will be presented at the upcoming 2025 Preservation Massachusetts awards ceremony on June 6 at Fenway Park in Boston.
Custom House Block, Boston
2025 Paul & Niki Tsongas Award
The Custom House Block, located on Central Wharf in downtown Boston, is a National Historic Landmark and a defining feature of the city’s historic waterfront. Completed in 2024, the rehabilitation of the building addressed long-deferred exterior and interior preservation needs while maintaining its architectural character.
The project included extensive repairs to the brick and granite façade, restoration of multi-wythe load-bearing masonry walls, and installation of new historically appropriate windows. Original shutters were replicated and installed throughout the building. Inside, the project retained and restored original brick walls, wood structural components, and flooring, preserving the building’s historic fabric.
This rehabilitation reflects how well-executed preservation work can bring new life to underutilized historic structures in dense urban environments while maintaining a strong connection to the past.
Historic Round Hill Summit, Northampton
2025 Mayor Thomas M. Menino Legacy Award
The Historic Round Hill Summit project involved the rehabilitation of six significant buildings on the former Clarke School for the Deaf campus. The project involved the adaptive reuse of the six historic buildings within a landscaped campus setting for new office and residential uses, including: Gawith Hall (1875), Adams House (1891), Hubbard Hall (1915), the Boiler House (1929), Skinner Hall (1932), and the Engineer’s Cottage (1935).
Despite continued use over the years, the buildings had suffered long-term deferred maintenance. The project converted them into a mix of residential and commercial office uses while retaining key historic features. Although the original plan included rehabilitation of Rogers Hall, the building was destroyed in a 2016 fire that also damaged the adjoining Hubbard Hall. The team proceeded with repairs to Hubbard Hall and full rehabilitation of the remaining structures.
The campus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the Clarke School for the Deaf Historic District and is located within Northampton’s Elm Street Local Historic District.
Earl Company Factory, Leominster
2025 Mayor Thomas M. Menino Legacy Award
The Earl Company Factory, a rare surviving wood-frame industrial building associated with Leominster’s historic comb and plastics industry, has been thoughtfully rehabilitated into 17 high-quality residential units. Originally constructed in 1899, the building’s conversion involved careful restoration of key architectural features, including replicated wood clapboard siding, historic replica windows, and reconstructed entry doors that mirror the original factory entrances.
Inside, the building’s industrial character was preserved through exposed elements and thoughtful design. The completed project, led by Cougar Capital Management, provides new housing opportunities and contributes to the ongoing revitalization of downtown Leominster.
With the project now complete, the building is scheduled to be individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
About the Experts
Douglas Kelleher, Principal and Manager, Historic Preservation Group is a leader in the field of historic preservation planning with over 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors. He served as Principal for this project. Mr. Kelleher’s prior experience includes numerous years as a Preservation Planner with the Massachusetts Historical Commission. He specializes in providing public and private sector clients with strategic consulting for complex real estate projects involving historic resources for compliance with local, state, and federal historic preservation regulations. Widely recognized as a leader in the preservation community, his well-established expertise is a cornerstone of Epsilon’s historic resources and historic tax credit practice.
Erin Doherty is a Senior Preservation Planner at Epsilon with over 10 years of professional experience in cultural resource management and historic preservation planning. Having spent much of her career in the public sector including years of experience at the Massachusetts Historical Commission and Boston Landmarks Commission, she has an intimate familiarity with environmental laws, regulations, and guidelines affecting historic resources at the local, state, and federal levels. Ms. Doherty has extensive experience in state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credit applications.
Brielly McGlauflin is a Project Preservation Planner at Epsilon. Ms. McGlauflin has assisted in numerous historic tax credit rehabilitation projects throughout Massachusetts and New England and has more than 10 years of professional experience in cultural resource management and historic preservation planning. She works with environmental laws, regulations, and guidelines affecting historic resources at the local, state, and federal levels.