Community Corner
First Parish Meetinghouse Embarks on $1 Million Restoration Campaign
First Parish Meetinghouse in Town Square isn't the oldest building in Plymouth. It was built in 1899, but it does hold two national titles of distinction – that of oldest continuous church and the oldest organization of any kind in the United States. It s
While the Meetinghouse is the fifth structure on the site, and it is only 112-years-old, young by Plymouth's standards, the once sturdy granite and sandstone structure is showing major signs of disrepair. In fact, cracked and broken granite, mildewed sandstone, and gaping holes where mortar once held the building together have created threatening and damaging conditions. So powerfully destructive are the conditions that engineers and preservation experts have warned of the urgency and necessity of repair, restoration and conservation of this national treasure, also known as The National Memorial Pilgrim Church.
“Old buildings possess enormous charm and serve as wise old beacons of the past,” said Lester Lloyd, an architect working with First Parish on the restoration project. “First Parish is just such a building. But the age of a building should not detract from the needs of a structure pounded by wind, salt spray, rain, environmental damage and the ravaging effects of water. It is water and moisture that threaten First Parish, its complete structure and its Tiffany stained glass windows.”
Jan Palmer-Tarbox, Chair of the Meetinghouse Restoration Committee added, “The desperate needs outlined in our structural survey demand that we act now to restore and preserve First Parish. I hate to imagine what would happen to the Meetinghouse if we do not heed the warnings of our engineers.”
Specifically, the greatest threat to the building is the seepage of water between the granite blocks. Behind those blocks, the façade is in jeopardy. The interior shows massive water damage that will only be mitigated by the repair of the exterior.
Just as damaging is water, wind, and climate to the stained glass windows – a number of which were designed by famed Tiffany Studios artist Edward Peck Sperry.
“First Parish‟s stained glass windows are unique to Plymouth. There are no other Tiffany stained glass windows in Plymouth, and certainly there are no other windows that, window by window, tell the story of the Pilgrims in such an evocative and dramatic way,” said Roberto Rosa of Serpentino Stained and Leaded Glass of Needham.
All of the windows need some repair, but the most in need are “John Robinson Blessing the Pilgrims at Their Departure from Delftshaven,” “Civil Liberty,” “Signing the Compact,” and “Religious Liberty.”
“To lose these windows would be a tragedy,” said Ben Brewster, Honorary Chair of the Campaign for First Parish. “In so many ways, this building belongs to the people of Plymouth and the world. We can‟t just turn a blind eye and say, „let someone else do it.‟ We need to take responsibility now for the centerpiece of Town Square and for our collective history as Americans.”
One million dollars is needed to bring First Parish to a place where the exterior no longer wreaks havoc on the interior of the building. First Parish‟s leadership voted to embark on Our History, Our Heritage, Our Community – The Campaign for First Parish Meetinghouse to raise the money.
Brewster continued, “In just a few short months we have raised more than $62,000 for our cause, but we have a long way to go. I know there are generous individuals and companies out there who want to help us. Now they can.”
For more information about Our History, Our Heritage, Our Community – The Campaign for First Parish Meetinghouse, or to make a donation, please visit our website www.restorefirstparishplymouth.org or call Campaign Director Darcy Lee at 508-747-1606. Donations can be mailed to First Parish Meetinghouse
Restoration, 19 Town Square, Plymouth, MA 02360, and see the website for more information: www.restorefirstparishplymouth.org, or email, info@restorefirstparishplymouth.org.
