Heald & Chiampa Marks Five Years with a Historic Facelift

Heald & Chiampa Funeral Directors recently restored the exterior of the historic Sumner House as part of their commitment to beautifying the center of Shrewsbury. According to the announcement, the completion of the work coincided with the funeral home’s fifth anniversary.

Long-time Shrewsbury residents James and John Heald, and their partner David Chiampa, took ownership of the prestigious property on April 15, 2010. The purchase fulfilled their shared lifelong dream of owning and operating a funeral home in the community where they lived and had so many deep-rooted relationships.

Since its sale, the property has undergone many renovations.

“In addition to the work we did when we first took over the property, we knew that we would need to continually invest in the building,” said partner James Heald in a statement. The most recent project addressed the building’s exterior by replacing the windows with replica custom windows, adding insulation in parts that had none, and, finally, residing with HardiePlank lap siding.

Located in the center of Shrewsbury adjacent to the town common, The Sumner House is a well-recognized landmark long admired by residents and visitors for its traditional and timeless beauty. Originally built in 1797, the home served as a residence to the Reverend Joseph Sumner, the second minister of the First Congregational Church, and his descendants through the late 1980s.

Prior to Heald & Chiampa’s ownership, there was concern and fear among Shrewsbury residents that the eventual sale of the nationally registered historic property would result in it being torn down and repurposed for commercial retail use. The partners, however, recognized the home could be saved and restored and their lifelong dream realized.

“The center of town is taking shape very nicely with the renovations to the library and the improvements to the Sumner House. Our town center has so much untapped potential and we will continue to do our part to maximize it,” said partner John Heald in the announcement. “We are grateful that our community and especially our neighbors have responded so well to another funeral home in town. Without their support and desire for something new and different, none of this would be possible,” he added.