Two historic structures comprise the campus of St. John’s and St. James Church in Roxbury: a rare example of an 1803 Federal period brick mansion outside of Beacon Hill and a 1901 Gothic revival chapel designed by Ralph Adams Cram when the entire property was being used as a convalescent home. At the time SSV became involved, this site was at considerable risk; both Ionic Hall and the chapel had become unoccupiable due to their shared state of dilapidation. 
In partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and Historic Boston, Inc., our firm prepared an extensive assessment of the existing conditions at the site and developed a master plan for its rehabilitation. The plan for its restoration involved creating a series of income-generating apartments and repurposing the chapel as space for community events, along with an extensive list of more traditional preservation measures to stabilize and beautify both structures. The report aided in the acquisition of a Community Preservation Act grant of $100,000, which was awarded in support of the stabilization of St. Luke’s Chapel. Historic Boston, Inc. and the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts continue to develop plans for the rehabilitation.