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Sponsored by: Feldman Land Surveyors
November 1, 2019

Pro-Bono Laser Scanning to Record Worcester’s Historic Buildings

The Mission Chapel located at 205 Summer St.
The Mission Chapel located at 205 Summer St.
The Mission Chapel located at 205 Summer St.
Worcester Memorial Auditorium
Worcester Memorial Auditorium
Worcester Memorial Auditorium
Worcester Memorial Auditorium
Worcester Memorial Auditorium
Worcester Memorial Auditorium

Recently, our firm, Feldman Surveyors of Worcester, completed two pro-bono 3D laser scanning, surveying projects in Worcester – the Mission Chapel and the Worcester Memorial Auditorium. And similar to our program in Boston, we feel we need to do this to help preserve Worcester’s architectural treasures. Laser scanning is just one of the many services our firm provides to support the Real Estate, Design and Construction Project Life Cycle, and it has proven to be the way to go for preservation as well as development.

The Mission Chapel

The Mission Chapel, built in 1854 by Ichabod Washburn for the Evangelical City Missionary Society, is located at 205 Summer St. It’s a unique example of the early Victorian Norman style – also referred to as the “Romanesque in panel” style. The facade consists of three bays and has Romanesque arches in the gable. The exterior side walls comprise multiple bays divided by piers featuring two layers of corbelling as they rise to the roof.

The Mission Chapel has been acquired by a business partnership intending to develop it into residential units or business offices. 

The Worcester Memorial Auditorium

The brainchild of Frederic C. Hirons and the L.W. Briggs Co., the Worcester Memorial Auditorium – or the Aud, as it’s known to locals – was built in 1933 to honor the sacrifices of the citizens of Worcester in war times. Designed in the Classical Revival style with bas-relief ornamentation and an Art Deco-inspired interior, the Aud comprises three distinct parts. Adorned with murals by Leon Kroll, the Shrine of the Immortal is a war memorial to commemorate the 335 nurses and soldiers from Worcester who lost their lives during World War I. The Little Theater is a small entertainment space that seats 675. And the large auditorium, which seats between 3,500 and 4,500 people, houses a Kimball pipe organ sitting on a hydraulic elevator so it can be raised or lowered between the stage, the floor of the auditorium and the level below. 

The Aud has been acquired by the Architectural Heritage Foundation – or AHF – which intends to repurpose it as a cultural and educational center. While the most important historic features will be preserved, the redevelopment will include the outfitting of the auditorium for performances, e-sports competitions and competitive gaming; the conversion of the Little Theater to a cinema venue; the repurposing of the memorial hall as a restaurant; and the conversion of the remaining interior spaces to offices, lounges, digital innovation labs, game rooms and green rooms.  

Feldman’s Legacy in Historic Preservation

Over the years, we have worked on some of Massachusetts’ most important historical treasures, including the scanning of the Boston Public Library, Boston Symphony Hall, the Old South Meetinghouse, the Old State House, the Paul Revere House and an area in the Minute Man National Historic Park.

We are motivated to perform these services on a pro-bono basis because we want to highlight the value of historic preservation for the city of Worcester. Unfortunately, historic preservation is rarely a revenue generator. That is why to show our commitment to wonderful and thriving Worcester community, we wanted to contribute. By recording these two historic buildings with this cutting-edge 3D technology, we’re proud to have helped with these groundbreaking projects only serving to revitalize Worcester even further.

In the future, we intend to perform two pro-bono projects to preserve historic sites each year. 

3D Scanning – An Integral Part of Development Projects

Of course, 3D scanning is the first step in creating the model of a building, which then creates lean construction and expedited building – and ultimately helps keep costs low. As such, it’s critical to any development project, whether it’s the repurposing of a historic building or the construction of an entirely new site.
 

Feldman Land Surveyors

27 Mechanic Street
Worcester, MA 01608

P. 617-357-9740   

F. 617-357-1829

www.feldmansurveyors.com