Located in Sharon, Massachusetts, the Charles R. Wilber School was named after the only Sharon resident killed in World War I. The south wing of the school was constructed in 1921. A large addition was built in 1928. This addition consisted of the gym, auditorium, and north wing. The building is an example of Colonial Revival architecture. It had been vacant almost 30 years.

Wilber School was initially constructed as an elementary school in 1922. In 1929, the Town added a second wing to convert the building into a high school. The Wilber School is an historically significant example of Colonial Revival architecture. In addition to being the Town’s only high school, the building served as a community facility, hosting such events as children’s Saturday matinee movies and Town meetings. In the early 1980s, the building was vacated due to obsolescence and the existence of lead-based paint and asbestos in the building. The building had remained vacant since then and was nearly demolished a number of times. The Town ultimately chose to preserve the building, and funded a partial remediation of its asbestos. Given Wilber School’s important history and prominent location, and the fact that many current residents of Sharon attended the school, finding a suitable program for its redevelopment was one of the Town’s greatest challenges. Several previous attempts by others to redevelop the building had been unsuccessful, failing to balance economic feasibility with the Town’s needs, interests, and concerns. Beacon and Frontier Enterprises succeeded where the others failed, balancing difficult site, economic, historic, design, and permitting constraints.

In October 2010, Wilber School Apartments earned LEED® Gold Certification. The decision to rehabilitate, despite the building’s extremely distressed condition (as opposed to the alternative decision to demolish and build new), is consistent with the LEED for Homes site selection criteria that aim to reduce impact on the environment by constructing on existing sites. The building is equipped with many green features including but not limited to: energy efficient HVAC systems, windows, and lighting; Energy Star appliances; low flow plumbing fixtures; and underground cisterns for collecting roof runoff and reusing it for irrigation. All building systems were engineered and coordinated to maximize efficiency, minimize the consumption of energy, conserve resources, and reduce production of harmful elements such as nitrates from sewage and HCFCs from air conditioning and refrigeration units. Careful attention was paid to insulation and air sealing. These issues were especially tricky because of the different conditions involved: the original building is a masonry shell with interior wood framing, while the new addition is panelized wood construction with a brick façade. These two conditions required different air sealing and insulation strategies.

Beacon Communities Development’s in-house design team, Beacon Concepts LLC, was deeply committed to creating stunning and inviting homes at Wilber School Apartments. Consistent with Beacon Concepts LLC’s commitment to “LIVING WELL by DESIGN®,” Wilber School Apartments feature carefully selected, high end fixtures and finishes that are consistent throughout the market rate and affordable apartment homes. Mercedes Farrando of Beacon Concepts LLC specified and reviewed every design element, from the initial floor plan layouts, to the final paint colors. Beacon Concepts discovered and arranged for use of LG DecoWood® flooring, a durable and beautiful flooring product that matches the look of wood flooring with low cost and low maintenance. Mercedes was also responsible for selecting the energy efficient light fixtures that create inviting pools of light in the corridors.

Even the smallest detail, such as the location of the pieces of original Wilber School chalk boards in every apartment, were decided with care by Beacon Concepts and the architectural firm, Prellwitz Chilinski Associates, bringing a high level of design that runs through all aspects of the development.

Through this redevelopment, Wilber School has resumed its commanding physical presence on the corner of South Main Street and Chestnut Street in the heart of Sharon. Beforehand, its windows were boarded up, its façade was overgrown with vegetation, and rot and water were steadily destroying the building. Today, Wilber School is rejuvenated. The exterior is bright again, with new windows, re-pointed masonry, new landscaping, and a beautiful new addition that complements the original building’s wonderful civic architecture. The interior is totally transformed, with new apartments, restored school hallways and contemporary design. These physical and visual changes represent economic changes as well. This redevelopment has had, and will continue to have, a positive economic impact on the Town. The Town owns the land, which the development acquired via a long-term ground lease. The redeveloped building is now a source of tax revenue. Additionally, the new residents will help the ongoing resurgence of the Town’s downtown district, known as Post Office Square.