McElwain School Apartments

Bridgewater, MA

PROJECT SUMMARY

Type: Historic Renovation and New Construction
Duration: 21 months
Size: 57 units

Architect
Prellwitz Chilinski Associates

Owner
CC MPZ Main Street LLC

The McElwain School Apartments provide an affordable mix of one-, two-, and three- bedroom apartments to families in the Bridgewater community.

Built in 1912, the McElwain School was donated to the Town of Bridgewater by the W.H. McElwain Company, which manufactured men’s shoes and was the area’s largest employer.  Keith Construction worked with MPZ Development and Capstone Communities to transform and expand the property which consisted of the school, abandoned since 1997, an 1880’s farmhouse and a new 3-story wood frame PHIUS certified building. Each building provided its own challenges including meeting the PHIUS requirements at the new building, maintaining important historic components while adapting the use of the school building and replicating the historic trim and siding of the farmhouse, all of which had been previously removed.