Dean Snags School Street Property for Admissions

As 2021 came to a close, on December 29, Dean College finalized the purchase of a School Street property, number 137, with a long history, as a new home for the Admissions Office.

Although the 15-person staff is still located in the historic building on the corner of Main and Emmons, the School Street site started the new year with a sign (approved by the Design Review Commission early in December). The lines in the parking lot are freshly painted and construction crews are putting the finishing touches on the interior but could offer no ideas on an occupancy date. Dean officials had not yet responded to inquiries as of end of day.

Curtis Patalano, the seller, explained that he had sold his CPA practice in the summer of 2016 and his successor in the business, leased the building from him and Patalano, retained an office suite for himself. In August 2021 the CPA firm expressed an interest in breaking the lease and moving to another location, he explained.

“I decided I didn’t want to keep the property so I put it on the market, and almost immediately Dean College showed interest,” he said It was a very smooth transition.

The site has had many roles over the years including School (thus the street name) and Church. The Baptist Church stood on that site until the September 1938 hurricane demolished it, an event that led to the cohabitation by the town’s Baptists and Congregationalists resulting in the formation of the Federated Church.

After World War II, the Jehovah‘s Witnesses built a church, according to Patalano, though the congregation later opted for a site on Maple Street, where it remains today. Patalano said he believe [accountant]Herb Hunter bought the building and later sold it to his son-in-law. “I bought it from his son-in-law around 2012 and completely renovated the building and the lot, a project that was completed in 2013.

According to the town’s database, the land is just over one-half acre and the building has a floor area of 4600 square feet. Under Dean's ownership, the property will no longer be on the tax rolls. [CORRECTION: Dean's Gregg Chalk explained that the property will remain on Franklin's tax rolls!]