I'm seeing exciting news on several new projects, including a new downtown bank headquarters and a new apartment building. I'll report on those when I have more information. Until then, this is an exciting adaptive reuse of a building from the 1700s.
1794 Boy's School Restoration:
Frank L. Blum Construction was selected as the General Contractor for this project that will restore one of nation's oldest public school buildings. It's also the oldest Moravian school building, at nearly 223 years old. When it originally opened, in 1794, it offered schooling for both boys and girls, which was rare in the United States at the time and shows how progressive Winston-Salem was in the late-1700s. The building will be restored as an interpretive museum, telling the story of education in the city's early days. It will also cover early American education. The museum will show visitors what students in the late-1700s in Winston-Salem would study and what career choices they had. Visitors and school groups will tour the building and be able to sit in school desks and participate in interactive historic activities. There will be hidden technology that will allow it to be used for teacher training workshops. It will also have the ability for distance learning for student groups that might be too far to visit. Construction starts in January and will be completed in Fall 2017. The restoration project has received a $150,000 federal grant from the Institute of Museum & Library Service in Washington, D.C., to help pay for some of the restoration and museum upfit costs. Forsyth County was asked to pay $1.5 million and the remaining amount will be raised from donors.
Credit: The Chronicle
#CityOfAdaptiveReuse
Did you know: This building was first used as a museum in 1897, when it was renovated into the Wachovia Museum. Sadly, the building closed six or seven years ago. It will be great to see it restored and reopen late next year!