SOUTHBRIDGE — There is a theory behind the color yellow — an uplifting one that may be the secret behind an awakening renaissance here. “Yellow is bright, happy and stimulating,” author Suzie Chiazzari writes in her book “The Complete Book of Color.” “Yellow also promotes the assimilation of new ideas and the capacity for understanding varying points of view. “Moreover, it seems that yellow helps people become more organized and to adopt an optimistic attitude, something one can appreciate in any room.”Perhaps that is why one local real estate developer and owner picks that hue for most of the exteriors of the buildings he renovates. Case in point, the Flat Iron on Hamilton Street, the Family Mortgage building on Main Street, across from CVS, and, more recently, the Clemence House on School Street. Only time will tell if Gabriel McCarthy will opt for sunny yellow for the former Favreau’s building, on Central Street, and The Cannery on Crane Street, two of his future projects.It’s a busy time for McCarthy, who lives in Pomfret, Conn., with his children and wife, Margaret Morrissey, adult services librarian at the Jacob Edwards Public Library in Southbridge.

Their current endeavor is renovating the circa 1820s Clemence House. Built in the Victorian era, the house is in the Italianate style, according to Morrissey. She said the Clemence Box Factory was located in the area, and the School Street property may have been the owner’s residence.Work is being done to transform the building into a condominium showhouse. It will later be used as an open house for business professionals looking for long-term housing of two weeks or more, or hoping to relocate to the area, but don’t want to stay at a hotel. Lisa Krach, co-owner of Vienna on South Street (McCarthy and Morrissey’s other renovation hit, though not yellow), is the liaison that people can call if interested in Clemence House accommodations. McCarthy said Krach and her husband, Jonathan Krach, co-owner of Vienna (as well as its chef), came up with the idea of offering local accommodations for business professionals.

“We thought it would be nice for people who need long-term housing, without sending them to hotels in Sturbridge,” Lisa Krach said.“Or Auburn,” pointed out McCarthy.Added Krach: “You want to be able to offer that in town. It’d be a shame to send someone out of town.”“Bring small businesses into town instead of sending them out of town,” agreed McCarthy. Clemence House was once ramshackle with an equally depressing, tiny apartment building in the back. Touring the place during yesterday’s warm afternoon, it’s hard for one to imagine just how sad both structures, including the garage, were at one time. Now, all that you see are three stunning yellow buildings with bright red doors — doors of the style you find along famous streets in Liverpool and London, England.Renovations continue on the two apartment buildings. Workers were busy yesterday, restoring the hardwood floors and such. The stone driveway cutting through the manicured grounds leads to a new porch on the main building and through one of the fire engine red doors and into a sunroom and kitchen that belong in one of those fancy home magazines or showrooms.

There were big smiles and a couple of chuckles when Krach and McCarthy were asked how they would describe the décor. “Eclectic?” they asked each other, and nodded, noting it is also a combination of formal yet comfortable, and upscale yet period.Guests will have full use of modern kitchens, formal dining rooms, sitting rooms, luxuriously decorated bedrooms, and fully renovated bathrooms. There is a gas/log fireplace in the formal sitting room, as well as DSL access, two-zone heating, and air conditioning. Want more highlights? Try a stone patio, wrought-iron railings, a balcony, and a sun porch. McCarthy and Krach agreed that if guests want to hold business meetings at Clemence House, the formal dining room would serve them well.They noted that rent costs plan to be competitive.
McCarthy had his eye on Clemence House for a while.“I’ve always liked this house, but I also thought it would be a lot of work,” he said, noting that Morrissey and fellow Historical Commission member Steve Brady put it on a list of the 10 most endangered buildings in Massachusetts a few years ago.Krach described McCarthy and Morrissey’s renovation projects as finding a weed in a field full of flowers. She and Jonathan Krach should know. Before McCarthy and Morrissey got their hands on the site of Vienna, the building’s former life was a town blemish that people turned their noses at.
“He always sees beauty in things others don’t see at all,” said a beaming Lisa Krach, of McCarthy. “Others may have driven by this place [Clemence House] and thought it was an eye soar, but Gabe didn’t.”

McCarthy’s work on the former Favreau’s building on Central Street is due to kick off in a couple of months, he said. The site will feature six small stores, including a fishmonger (which will also sell fish ‘n’ chips), a butcher, a chocolatier, and an open market on Saturdays, something McCarthy is excited about, and something he thinks Southbridge residents should get excited about, too, as it concerns downtown’s revitalization.“There’s no reason why Saturday can’t be Southbridge Day,” he said, over a cup of coffee at the table in the modern kitchen of Clemence House. (That is, one of the contemporarily, yet cozy, styled kitchens.) “There are a group of businesses in the downtown area that are planning to open on Saturdays to get this ‘Saturday is Southbridge Day’ going.”
Regarding the revamped “May Days” downtown event on May 6 and 7, spearheaded by Four Eyes Joke Shop owner Valerie Pontbriand, McCarthy said it’s important to keep alive such festivities.
“Despite the bad weather that weekend, the May Days events were well received, thanks in part to Valerie,” he said.McCarthy emphasized that businesses in Southbridge should help each other, and they ought to encourage patrons to stay in town to do their shopping.“We have to help the town,” he said. “We can’t stifle it. We should buy locally.“We’re not supporting ourselves for the simple reason we are devaluing our property by spending elsewhere.” Said Krach: “Every time we leave town, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot. We’re not supporting our neighbors.”

Another McCarthy/Morrissey project, the Flat Iron (yet another bright yellow property) is a new approach to experiencing and engaging the artists and craftsmen of New England.According to a Web site about the building, walk into the historic Flat Iron, and patrons will find the output of 12 dedicated artists and craftsmen, and a European style café, where one can relax to appreciate their works. On each day one of the craftsmen will show how it’s done in one of the on-site workshops. The Flat Iron Cooperative features anything from pottery to stained glass making.The Cooperative works this way: Twelve artisans each commit to a minimum of four days spent in the Flat Iron, so they can demonstrate their craft. The remainder of the time they may choose to work in the Flat Iron or elsewhere, but their works are on constant display. The other artisans will be able to answer questions guests may have, or help them choose their own unique piece of craftsmanship. McCarthy and Morrissey are promoting the “uniqueness and individuality of New England craftsmen and women, through enabling them to work together cooperatively to keep costs down and reach a wider audience,” states their Web site. The Flat Iron is home to a health food store, Sturbridge Coffee Roasters, the future Aoife’s Ices (McCarthy’s daughter’s new venture, where customers will be able to enjoy ice cream treats, frappes, sodas, bottled water, and candies), the future Little Shop of Fudge, and Treasured Memories Craft Shop.

Across the street from the Flat Iron, in the former Able Plumbing Building on Crane Street, will be the site of yet another McCarthy/Morrissey renovation. Called The Cannery, McCarthy said he plans to house an auction hall, restaurant, a florist, an antiques dealers’ gallery, as well as other businesses that may relocate from Charlton and Sturbridge.McCarthy and Krach said Southbridge is a gem that just needs to be shined a bit, despite the municipal and political controversies. It must be a jewel — given the time and dedication they’re investing. “It’s inevitable,” Krach said. “This town will blossom.”
Agreed McCarthy: “It’s waiting to blossom.” Kind of like a daffodil — which is yellow, by the way.
 
 

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