As the renovation of Martin Hall—the campus home for alumni and the Office of the Vice President for Institutional Advancement—took place in 2004 and 2005, workers were at pains to preserve the stone building’s unique 19th-century character.

They used paint colors that were faithful to period originals, employed artisans to produce authentic molding, and replaced mortar in such a way that it looked like it had been applied by an 1850s stonemason.

As a result of this attention to detail, the College is the recipient of a prestigious award from the Providence Preservation Society (PPS). The 2006 PPS Adaptive Reuse/Institutional Award recognizes notable examples of a creative adaptation of a historic building for a new use, as well as efforts of local institutions to serve as stewards for their local buildings.

The award will be presented on January 18 at the PPS Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony.

“The careful restoration of Martin Hall, a Thomas Tefft villa, illustrates Providence College’s commitment to preservation and enriching the historic character of the campus,” said Luigi A. Bianco, awards committee chair, and Jack A. Gold, executive director, in a letter announcing the award. Tefft was a prominent 19th-century Providence architect.

Mark Rapoza, director of capital projects and facilities planning at PC, said it was important to the city and PC that the historic and artistic character of Martin Hall be preserved during the work. “We are all very pleased with the outcome,” he said.

Rapoza said the renovation sought to satisfy the College’s desire to create an “alumni house,” as outlined in the Master Space Plan, while preserving the building’s architectural significance.

One of the ways the renovation team accomplished this was with the installation of a specially configured air-conditioning system in the building.

On the functional side, the three-story, 15-room building has new electrical wiring and plumbing, new roofing and gutters, as well as a kitchen, conference room, lounge areas, and numerous offices for institutional advancement staff members. Staff moved into Martin Hall in June 2005.

The Italian villa-style building was part of the Bradley Estate purchased by the College in 1926. After extensive renovation, the building opened as the first on-campus residence facility and was known as Guzman Hall, in honor of the founder of the Dominican Order, St. Dominic de Guzman. From 1926-1962, it was primarily a dormitory for Dominican pre-ecclesiastical students.

The building was renamed in 1962 to honor St. Martin de Porres, a Dominican lay brother from Lima, Peru, who is recognized as the patron saint of social and interracial justice. In more recent years, it was used as housing for the College’s Dominican Community.

Martin Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.