Historic Stearns Tavern spared from demolition, getting addition
Zachary Comeau
The Stearns Tavern is getting an addition and other renovations for future use by the Seven Hills Foundation.
The Worcester Historical Commission has approved renovations and an addition to the historic Stearns Tavern after the 200-year-old building was spared from the wrecking ball.
The tavern, located near Coes Park at the intersection of Mill and Coes streets, will eventually be occupied by Worcester nonprofit Seven Hills Foundation, an organization that provides services for people with disabilities.
The building was built in the early 1800s and has been moved twice, most recently last October from Park Avenue to its current location. On Park Avenue, it was used as a bank.
Deb Packard, director of Preservation Worcester - the current owners of the building - said the organization has received more than $800,000 in donations, services and goods from public, private and local sources.
Planned for the building are two sets of handicapped-accessible restrooms on the interior and exterior of the building as well as new windows to match others currently on the building.
Commission Chairman Andrew Shveda at Thursday's meeting said the project is a perfect example of how the city’s demolition delay rule can save a historic structure from being demolished.
According to Packard, the building’s previous owner on Park Avenue wanted to demolish the building and applied for a waiver, but that was denied, triggering a yearlong period where the building couldn’t be demolished.
During that year, the owner donated it to Preservation Worcester under an agreement where the organization move the building to its current location, Packard said.
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