Colantonio Inc., a Holliston-based general contractor and construction management firm, announced that Mystic Water Works has been selected by Preservation Massachusetts to receive the Thomas M. Menino Legacy Award.

The award recognizes projects “that are transformative, catalytic, embrace the community, create partnerships and revitalize the best of the past to make something good for the future,” according to the Preservation Massachusetts website.  Preservation Massachusetts will present its 2020 awards during a virtual event on October 22.

The Mystic Water Works, also called the Mystic Pumping Station, was built in 1865 as a rectangular, brick building in the Romanesque Revival style with a mansard roof, set upon a granite foundation.  A significant example of a mid-19th century waterworks facility, the structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It served the area as a water supply until 1912, was used as office space during World War I and later repurposed as a machine shop.  It subsequently sat vacant for several decades.

In 2017, Colantonio converted the building into 25 one-bedroom units of affordable housing, with common areas and laundry facilities. The firm replaced the existing interior with an entirely new, 24,000 square-foot, two-story structure with a partial basement. The new, energy-efficient windows were designed to preserve the property’s historic character.  Other sustainable elements include an efficiency heat pump system; an energy recovery unit to reduce heating and cooling loads; LED lighting throughout; and the use of spray foam insulation to further reduce energy costs.

The rehabilitation not only created homes for low-income elderly residents of Somerville, it restored a highly visible abandoned historic building to its former glory and completed the Capen Court campus for the elderly and disabled.