Fayville Hall Update

The Southborough Historical Society is delighted to announce it has reached a final agreement with Jon Delli Priscoli, the current owner of Fayville Hall, to acquire the property.

JDP, as Mr. Delli Priscoli is almost universally known, has agreed to donate the building to the Society for $100. Providing the Southborough Board of Selectmen release their right of first refusal, which will hopefully occur this week, renovations will begin right after Labor Day, as site plans and permits are already in place.

Draft drawings of the interior reveal many features that will vastly increase residents’ enjoyment of the building.

The 2000 sq ft. basement will be entirely finished to include a catering kitchen and a “makers'” space that will allow for classes and workshops in the arts and crafts as well as mouth-watering culinary explorations.

The first floor, of the same size, will be converted into museum and exhibit space, and will be used to host lectures, events and other paying functions. The Society hopes to name this floor the Matison Gallery, after our late and beloved friend, Kate Matison, who worked so tirelessly over decades to preserve the history of Southborough, and who was the chief mover behind Southborough’s recent Downtown National Register District.

The second floor, again roughly 2000 sq ft,  will be converted into a state-of-the-art archival, research and office space to house the Society’s ever-growing collections.

The exterior of the building will be completely restored to its 1914 appearance, complete with cast iron entrance fountain. Once work is completed, a preservation restriction will be placed on the property, which will hopefully then serve as an historical anchor in a part of Southborough that has faced considerable development pressure.  Plans also being contemplated include hosting a small farmer’s market in the parking lot on certain Saturdays to allow local growers a place to sell their wares, as well as other outdoor events throughout the year.

Work is expected to take 9 months and cost 1.2 million dollars, with the goal of providing Southborough with a thriving new history and cultural center for the 21st century (and hopefully beyond!)