Sneak peek at Concert Hall in Natick Center—amazing space needs a lot of work

For Natick’s history-minded preservationists, learning the Clark’s Block on Main Street in Natick Center had a new owner was hopeful news. In June 2024, the imposing 43,000-square-foot, three-story building, built in 1874-75, sold for $6M to an entity called Clark’s Block LLC, managed out of Cambridge. What the owner behind the LLC, Stu Rothman, got for that kind of money was tenanted mixed-use office and retail space, and a piece of Natick history—a long-unused Concert Hall on the third floor.

We were invited by Historical Commission member Vincent Vittoria to tour the space, along with other interested locals, and get an update on what the Friends of Concert Hall group would like to see accomplished. Vittoria had gotten permission from the building owner to open up the rarely seen third floor. The Hall isn’t pretty right now, but with a little imagination, oh, what it could be.

Not even the dust of the ages, visible water damage, piles of trash, and no air conditioning on the hot summer day we peeked inside could hide the amazing bones of the place.

Sure, the two dozen 10 ft.-high Italianate windows could use a good cleaning but despite the grime, the light they let in!

OK, the 5,000 sq.ft. space is cut lengthwise in half by a mid-century-awful partition, back from when a few offices were set up there. But get rid of that barrier, and just watch as dancers from Todos Ballroom Studio on Route 9 in Natick show us all how it’s done. They’ve been salivating over that space—all 97ft x 57ft of it—with an eye toward hosting regional competitions.

And because heat rises, the third floor, with its soaring 30-foot high ceilings, was hot as Hades. But hell, that’s nothing that can’t be fixed with a little climate control.

Yup, the place is a mess. And yet…many original, and perhaps restorable elements from 1874, and 1886, when the Concert Hall was renovated, remain such as rosettes, various patterns on the walls and ceilings, and fireproof metal doors, painted in trompe-l’œil style to look like wood. Three massive chandeliers, 9-feet in diameter each, have long since been removed, but Vittoria is following up leads. He says one is in a guest house in Wellesley. (That must be some guest house.) Rumor has it another may be somewhere on the Cape. Remnants of the third chandelier are stored in a shed in an undisclosed location. Maybe that one can be recreated by the right craftsperson.

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The Hall has “basically been a shell of itself for 80-ish years,” Vittoria said. The last mention he could find of the Hall in use was in the 1940s, when Town Meeting convened there. Concert Hall even drew national attention when Vice President Henry Wilson’s wake was held in the space in 1875. Wilson, one of Natick’s historical figures, served as veep from 1873-1875 for the Ulysses S. Grant administration, until his death in office from a stroke on Nov. 22, 1875.

It’s going to take a huge infusion of donations to restore Concert Hall. The exact number won’t be clear for a while (think millions), but steps are being taken to get at least an estimate. The owner paid to have a building code expert brought in, and a report was made available to Rothman and the Friends of Concert Hall last week. The report includes information about the current state of Concert Hall’s compliance with building codes as related to structural design, fire safety, electrical systems, plumbing, ventilation, accessibility requirements, and energy efficiency, among other standards. It’s safe to say that the Hall did not pass any of these categories with flying colors.

But at least with a building code report in hand, next steps can go forward, which will eventually include a proposal to be put forward to the Town. The Design Review Board will have to weigh in; the Community Preservation Committee will likely be pitched for support; and other boards and committees may become involved.

Before fundraising can begin, Vittoria says a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation will have to be formed. Once that’s accomplished, he will seek out board members with expertise in grant writing, fundraising, event planning, legal matters, and more. It will take a lot of teamwork. Paul Joseph, interim executive director for the Natick Center Cultural District, said, “This is one of those projects everyone is going to want to get involved in to a certain degree. It’s important to find those people.”

Some of those people were right there on the tour, busily taking notes and asking questions.

Concert Hall is a place where Natick once celebrated and mourned. Where local governance decisions were made, where townspeople were entertained with dances, concerts, and plays. Who knows, maybe the sheer romance of the place inspired elaborate Prom asks. And if elaborate Prom asks weren’t a thing in the 1800s, well, consider the ask needs of the future. Let’s use our imagination, people.

Vittoria has confidence in imagination and dreams. “We’re here today because we’ve had people help from great ways to small ways, Every little thing can really help. It’s a great moment in time for Natick.”

How to get involved

This could be a sign you should jump on board: 2024 is the 150th anniversary of the Clark’s Block and Concert Hall.  You can reach organizers via Facebook.

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