Meetinghouse Begins Historic Preservation Project

Those who drive through the Old Center of North Andover are watching with keen interest as scaffolding surrounds the 1836 Meetinghouse for the third time in the last 25 years. The historic building is home to an 1806 Paul Revere bell, host to many community groups and events, as well as the current Unitarian Universalist congregation. Listed on both Local and National Historic Registers, the building has undergone numerous repairs and renovations, projects that focused on maintaining the iconic structure as well as providing better accessibility, safety improvements, and improving energy efficiency.

The current project seeks to repair damage caused by weather, age, and woodpeckers. Damage shown in drone footage and multiple photos show several penetrations and rot in the spires and siding.

For this $1M+ project, members of North Parish are working in partnership with the Friends of the 1836 Meetinghouse, a 501c3 non-profit created by a group of residents to inform, share, and support the ongoing preservation efforts of this iconic structure. In early 2024 the Friends organization submitted an initial funding request of $480K to the North Andover Community Preservation Committee. That request was approved by North Andover town members in May 2024. Several generous donors have also stepped forward. Additional funding continues to be pursued by both the Friends organization and the North Parish.

Information about and updates on the project can be found on the Friends and North Parish websites – 1836meetinghouse.org and northparish.org.