Fairhaven High School is a Tudor-Gothic style building with masonry construction including granite, brick, and Indiana limestone. This structure has many outstanding decorative features representative of early 20th century architecture and is highly regarded by the Fairhaven community as part of the town’s historic fabric. Noted is the excellent workmanship of the structural support including state-of-the art (at the time) lattice work, rivet plate girders, lintel beams, and structural framework.
The Fairhaven School Committee and the Historic District Commission initiated a renovation and expansion plan to restore the building’s historical exterior and to enlarge the building envelope to meet current educational standards. Careful attention was given to preserving the historical details such as hand-painted murals, Italian marble floors, hand carved ceilings, Guastavino tile-vaulted porticos and floor-supporting structural systems, and stained glass windows.
The school was completely restored and modernized and boasts a cutting-edge telecommunications/electronics infrastructure. This project illustrates that a 19th century building can successfully be brought up to 21st century standards despite a regulatory environment that favors new construction over restoration of the original - and at a reasonable cost.
