A Victorian landmark on Lawrence’s Mass Street is getting a new role as The Castle on Mass prepares to open as an intimate event venue at 1307 Massachusetts St. After years used as office space, the limestone building—listed on the National Register of Historic Places and overseen by the Libuse Kriz-Fiorito Historical Foundation—will be transformed into a flexible rental space for weddings, corporate meetings, anniversary and holiday parties, and other gatherings.
The venue’s new operators, Jena Lynn Dick and her husband, Cory Lauridsen, say work has started on refreshing the interior while preserving key historic features such as hand-carved woodwork and fireplaces, along with restoring windowsills and exterior stonework. The layout includes multiple rooms separated by sliding pocket doors, a courtyard with a carriage house, a ballroom area, and a second-floor tower planned to function as a natural light photography studio.
Meanwhile, Mass Street is also welcoming new activity: Former mayor Bob Schumm’s Mass Street Deli is set to reopen at 717 Massachusetts St., building on a menu last updated in 1999 and adding homemade soups in the fall. Other updates include Recess Lawrence—an axe throwing and indoor miniature golf space merging with a new “Ice Cream Barlor”—and Ad Astra Piercing Co. purchasing a downtown building at 742 Massachusetts St. A nearby Minsky’s Pizza location at 934 Massachusetts St. has also announced a permanent closure, directing customers to another Kansas City metro-area location.