Renovations to the century-old historic Houston Barn in Hopkinton are right on track and set to be completed by the year’s end.

After the barn on Houston Drive was lifted off its old foundation to make way for a new one in July, it has now been lowered back to the ground.

The next phases will involve fitting new doors in the basement and providing the barn with a fresh set of roofs.

“It has been absolutely fantastic,” said Don Houston, who has a special connection to this project because the barn belonged to his family. “It is a dream come true to watch all of this happen.”

The barn built in 1912 was bought by the town and has been used for several purposes like training space for the Fire Department, operating space for the Building and Grounds Department, storage for equipment and by various town organizations.

Now, Houston visits the barn almost every day to photograph its transformation.

The historic structure – located on the same campus as the town’s library and senior center – is being restored to preserve its structural integrity and ensure its future use.

The restoration of the barn started when the town of Hopkinton was awarded a Historic Barn Assessment Grant from the state’s Preservation Alliance in June 2021. An inspection conducted at that time revealed that the barn was in good condition overall, but over the year, it suffered damage to the flooring and the roof.

Then, the Houston Barn Advisory Committee was established to devise a plan and explore various options for the renovation.

Neal Cass, the Hopkinton town administrator, confirmed that the renovation project, which began in March, is progressing as planned within the $875,000 budget approved by residents at last year’s town meeting.

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