2023 Award Winner: Chinburg Builders, Inc.

For the rehabilitation and re-use of Monadnock Mill #3 in Claremont.

Partners: WAL Masonry Corp. | McFarland Johnson | Essex Preservation Consulting

This project revitalized an abandoned mill on the Sugar River in downtown Claremont, providing new 83 market-rate apartments, enhancing the economic vitality of the community, and preserving the building’s historic integrity.

The Monadnock Mills historic district is one of the most complete and best-preserved textile complexes in New Hampshire according to Christine Beard of Essex Preservation Consulting. Mill No. 3 is a significant component of the group, being the largest and one of the most intact of the mill buildings.  

The first mill in the complex was built in the 1830s. This roughly 200-foot-long building dates to 1892 with c. 1900 additions. After producing quilts in damask, embroidery, and point lace designs, it was home to several other industries. Most of the building’s distinctive brick work, columns, timber beams, and associated roof corbels were still intact when this rehabilitation began. 

Chinburg’s design department worked closely with the National Park Service and the construction team to adapt the historic building to a new set of needs while meeting preservation guidelines. Dry rot beam repair and repointing of exterior brick joints was completed to replicate the building’s historic character. 

A number of rooftop elements were installed, including condensers, a roof deck, elevator overrun, and two stair enclosures. The team built a precise three-dimensional model of the building which helped them minimize visibility of these elements from the street. Stair headhouses, for instance, were built at an angle to further minimize their appearance at grade.

Studio, one and two-bedroom apartments now fill the building, along with amenities like a picnic area and rooftop deck. The project brilliantly adapts a historic mill for 21st century use, turning a long-vacant structure into needed housing. It also represents an important investment in Claremont, reviving a very prominent building to help the City’s economy and vitality.