Stoneleigh

Located in the heart of Dedham’s historic Precinct One, the venerable Norfolk County Jail is a magnificent granite structure whose earliest elements date back to the early 19th century. Aside from the architectural significance of this facility, the jail is historically important for having provided temporary housing for Sacco and Vanzetti while they awaited trial in the 1920s. This development, the result of the developer’s designation resulting from an RFP issued by the Commonwealth, consisted of 24 duplex-style condominium residences, with ancillary structures transformed into four additional condominium homes. 

The entire site was landscaped to feature small “victory gardens” for residents and the creation of a public park which was a gift to the Town of Dedham from the developers.

The challenges of converting a centuries-old prison to financially viable and desirable condominiums were daunting. They included the demolition of hidden and exposed granite, remediating centuries of contamination, and specifying special fenestration to be accommodated by the existing openings in the granite structure.  The architect for Stoneleigh was the Boston firm of DiMella Shaffer, with the construction performed by CB Construction.