Byline: Karen Nugent

CLINTON - Standing against a backdrop of exposed brick, heavy wooden beams, a high ceiling, and black metal ducts - although those are new and just meant to look old - Developer Russell C. "Chuck" DeDoming accepted the town's first Preservation Award yesterday afternoon

Mr. DeDoming, of Woodridge LLC, handled the town's first mill conversion last year, redeveloping an old Bigelow Carpet Co. storage building into a 37-unit condominium complex at 540 Main St. The building was most recently the Wagner Plastics factory, but had been vacant for several years.

The commission presented the award, a plaque, to Mr. DeDoming in one of the condos overlooking Main Street.

"We are appreciative of the opportunity Chuck (Mr. DeDoming) has given us to develop this pilot (award) program," commission member Robin I. Davidson said. "We plan to have additional awardees during the year, and we are working on a short list now."

The plaque acknowledges the developer's efforts in the preservation of 19th and early 20th century architectural and structural components. It says the circa-1895 building, "Bigelow Mills Building 65," is important and intrinsic to the town's history.

Horatio and Erastus Bigelow, founding brothers of the town and the carpet company, were worldwide industrialists.

The Planning Board granted a special permit for the mill conversion in March 2005.

Mr. DeDoming said he deliberately kept the exterior intact, along with the interior beams and floors, although most of the inside had to be torn out

for the $7 million project. Nearly all of the units, priced from $139,000 to $245,000, are sold, he said.

Mr. Davidson, who came up with the idea to give preservation awards, said he thought it up while driving back and forth past the building.

"I just thought it was great he was preserving its history," he said.

His fellow commission members - Christine M. Quirk, Karen A. Hamilton, Dinorah Caraballo and Irene M. Moran - were at the ceremony. Chairman George T. Kittredge is injured, Mr. Davidson said.

ART: PHOTO

CUTLINE: Developer Russell C. "Chuck" DeDoming, left, receives a Preservation Award from Robin I. Davidson of the Clinton Historical Commission yesterday afternoon.

PHOTOG: T&G Staff/RICK CINCLAIR