Northborough seeks investor to secure future of historic Route 20 property
NORTHBOROUGH — The future of the White Cliffs mansion on Main Street remains uncertain, as the town continues to explore options for the 19th-century property.
The historic home, at 167 Main St. (Route 20), was purchased by the town in 2017 after it became available for sale and a separate proposal was put forth to demolish it. The town has since formed a committee to determine the property's future.
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"Town Meeting voted to approve $2.4 million (to spend) CPA funds in 2016 — $1.75 million was used to purchase the building, while the remaining balance was used to (make) improvements to the building, such as renovating the roof," said Normand Corbin, a member of the White Cliffs Committee.
In 2020, the committee hired a consulting group that evaluated the condition of the property and suggested plans for it going forward.
"The study determined that the property needs about $6 million in renovations and improvements for it to resume functioning as a public building," Corbin said.
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White Cliffs was built in 1886 by Daniel Wesson, co-founder of firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson in Springfield. Wesson's wife, Cynthia Hawes, was a Northborough native whose family owned land in the town. When her parents died, she convinced her husband to build a summer manor on the old family property.
The mansion was completed at a cost of $300,000 (equivalent to about $9.5 million today) and contained 17 fireplaces and 32 rooms. It was said at the time that each room was made of a different wood that was imported from a different part of the world. The home is noted for its "shingle" style architecture, a derivative of Victorian-style houses, and features numerous outdoor porches and balconies, some of which have since been enclosed to protect them from the elements.
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The Wessons owned the property until their deaths in 1906, when it then went through a series of owners who operated the mansion as a restaurant and function hall. From 1953 to 1985, it was owned by the Tomaiolo family and was known as White Cliffs Restaurant and Function Facility. In 1985, it was purchased by the LaCava family, who ran it as a function hall for weddings and other events, before putting it up for sale in 2014.
Corbin said the mansion is not in disrepair, but it needs to be updated and brought up to code in order for it to reopen as an event space.
"The previous owner was grandfathered in, so they didn't really have to do anything," Corbin said. "When the town bought it, it would need to be upgraded to modern standards. It's not handicap accessible, and the plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems all need to be brought up to code."
The committee hired another consulting firm in June to begin working on finding a private partner that may be interested in eventually using the property.
"We are looking for outside investments, someone who wants to come in and invest in the property as a business," Corbin said. "We have it loosely defined as something in hospitality. It could be as an event center or it could be a restaurant again — that is who we are looking for."
If an investor were to come along, Corbin said the town would consider selling. Officials could also issue a long-term lease on White Cliffs, similar to a deal that was made with the Burnett House in neighboring Southborough.
Despite the uncertainties that cloud the future of the 136-year-old estate, Corbin is optimistic the town will soon find an investor to secure White Cliffs' future.
"The building is beautiful, it really is a work of art," Corbin said.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Northborough seeks investor to refurbish historic White Cliffs mansion
