John B. Gough Estate / Boylston, Massachusetts

The Gough Estate, an elegant 1848 Italianate residence with a subsequent circa 1860 addition, sits on a hillside overlooking its surrounding pastoral grounds. Since 2000, the Hillside Restoration Project has worked to halt ongoing deterioration of this important National Landmark. In 2009, the Town of Boylston retained Mills Whitaker Architects to develop conceptual plans for its adaptive reuse and prepare documents for the next steps in its restoration and rehabilitation.

The historically significant house has undergone multiple changes in use over the years, including the headmaster’s house with faculty apartments and subsequently as corporate offices. Now part of Boylston’s municipal facilities campus, the Town intends to restore the house while converting it for use as a conference center with a caretaker’s studio apartment. The project involves the restoration of historic fabric, replacement of building systems, integration of accessibility features and provision of conference facility infrastructure.

Since 2009, Mills Whitaker prepared a Master Plan with budgets for phased rehabilitation. Multiple targeted restoration projects have been undertaken with matching grants from sequential offerings by the Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund. The Hillside Restoration Project patiently and tirelessly continues to seek adequate resources for eventual completion of this project.

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