1425 Adams Street
Owner: Baker Square II Limited Partnershi
Developer: Winn Development
Architect: The Architectural Team

The Baker Chocolate Company was established by James Baker & John Hannon in 1765, in Milton, Massachusetts and in 1806 was expanded into Dorchester.  By the turn of the twentieth century Baker Chocolate was the dominant presence in the Lower Mills area of the Neponset River.  In 1965 the business relocated to Dover, Delaware, leaving over fourteen acres of land and buildings vacant and abandoned.  For the past twenty years the former Baker Chocolate Mills Complex has been under extensive renovation.  Baker Mill and the Carriage House were among the last derelict and crumbling mills to be restored.

The Baker Square project involves the adaptive reuse of two buildings located in the former Baker Chocolate complex.  Winn Development and The Architectural Team preserved the historic character of the buildings while creating sixty, one- and two-bedroom units of high-quality rental housing, 10 percent of which are affordable.  The units feature high ceilings and exposed brick walls and beams.  A public path along the Neponset River, complete with a canoe launch was also created.  Thanks to Winn Development and its development team, Baker Mill and the Carriage House have been carefully restored and reflect their original beauty.  Their preservation was a major step in completing the rehabilitation of the mills that made up the historic Baker Chocolate factory.     

Photo courtesy of Winn Development