PENTA Honored with Silver Hammer Award
Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce Recognizes Marketing Firm’s Historic Restoration Project
WORCESTER _ The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce presented PENTA Communications, Inc. with the coveted Silver Hammer Award for the marketing firm’s historic renovation of its new building, a landmark on the National Registry of Historic Places. PENTA was recognized at the Chamber’s Inaugural Awards Program on May 15, at The Haven Country Club in Boylston, Massachusetts.
Silver Hammer Awards “recognize projects that have had visual, aesthetic, or economic impacts on the region” and in past years, have been presented to many well-known regional organizations such as Holy Cross College, WPI, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and several others.
“We are so pleased to recognize PENTA Communications for this restoration effort, and we thank them for being a good steward of one of the region’s historic assets. With the ease of new construction, the choice to renovate an older property such as the 1790 House is truly a labor of love and most deserving of the Chamber’s prestigious Silver Hammer Award,” said Timothy Murray, President and CEO, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The historic restoration and renovation of the new PENTA Building took place over seven months and was completed in May 2014. The expansive Gentleman’s Mansion was built in 1790 and is one of the oldest buildings in Westborough. It sits on over an acre of prime commercial real estate on Route 9, also known as Boston Turnpike. With its original post and beam construction, handcrafted and extensive interior millwork, and numerous rooms, the building also contains eight fireplaces, each documented for its original masonry and design in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
The PENTA Building has a wealth of history comprised of noteworthy visitors including General George Washington, Paul Revere, and General Marquis de Lafayette.
The renovated building features a reception lobby, large center hall, numerous private offices, three conference rooms, a sprawling state-of-the-art creative department, a Customer Insights and Marketing Innovation Center, a staff/team “club house” equipped with a private kitchen, game room and relaxing room. In addition, the building has beautiful outdoor spaces including a large terraced patio with tables for staff dining, and beautiful gardens.
“After nearly 20 years of our firm’s 26 years being located in Westborough, and with our advocacy for the growth and development of the Town of Westborough and the Corridor Nine region, we were truly delighted to have the opportunity to renovate such a beautiful and historically significant building. We couldn’t think of a better place to call our new home,” said Founder and CEO Deborah Penta. “We express our deepest gratitude to the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce for recognizing our project and for its appreciation of the significance of its history.”
“The Town of Westborough is very excited to see the remarkable restoration work that PENTA Communications has performed in breathing new life into one of the Town’s most historic and important properties. In repurposing the former 1790 House, PENTA has created a beautiful and dynamic office space and returned excitement to the corner of Park Street and Route 9. The structural restoration is a benchmark for what can be done when a local business is committed to preserving architectural integrity and advancing commercial standards. This type of project is an excellent example of how economic development can work together with historic preservation,” said Jim Robbins, Westborough Town Planner.