Meetinghouse Rehabilitation Projects Overview

Historic Preservation and Handicapped Accessibility Projects

In 2010, First Parish Church began an ambitious effort to renew the 1769 Meetinghouse in East Derry. A new team hired historic architect Norman Larson, who did comprehensive analysis and planning to produce the 2011 formal Historic Assessment that continues to guide the work.

The historic building has since been undergoing “rehabilitation” as defined by the Secretary of the Interior’s preservation standards. This protocol honors past methods and materials but yields a living, safe, useful building. A solution for easy access by everyone­—the adjacent Accessibility Connector—hence became an essential element.

So far, over $1.6M has been invested in a very successful series of rehab projects. About $1M to $1.5M worth of work remains.

This page gives a brief overview of the rehab effort. See links to other articles and the NutfieldHistory.org website for more details. 

First Things First

Work began in 2011 with repainting the exterior and fixing hazards. A 2012 structural analysis by Preservation Timber Framing (PTF) identified bad timbers and joints, and in 2013 they reinforced the Tower to stop its movement. 

Rebuilding from Bottom to Top

The granite and rubble foundation was in bad shape; the crawlspace dirt underneath almost touched the floor timbers. Emptying the building and other preparations for a new foundation proceeded through 2014–2016 (Easter 2016 was the last service held in the Sanctuary). 

In May 2016 the Meetinghouse and Tower were lifted, and a state-of-the-art foundation poured. The timber frame floor and walls throughout were then extensively repaired. 

The exterior now needs lead paint removal and repainting; this is targeted for 2021. The Roof also needs refurbishment. After straightening the building frame and repairing the worst leaks, the full roof system rehab can wait.

Conquering A Towering Challenge

The 100’ tall Tower was quite deteriorated. PTF lowered the Steeple to the ground in September 2015, and ended up rebuilding 95% of its structure and trim before finishing it in 2019. 

The Tower base was rehabbed in 2017–2018, including removal of steel beams installed in the 1990s and replacing two 60’ tall corner posts. Tower work finished in September 2019, with the placement of the Steeple back on the base and exterior lead paint removal and repainting. 

Opening It Up to Everyone

A new elevator building will provide multi-floor accessibility for the disabled (and eliminate the need to carry coffins up the stairs). 

The foundation, shell, and masonry elevator shaft for this Accessibility Connector were completed in 2016. 2020 should see it get doors, windows, and siding, and the Elevator installed. Finishing the interior is planned for 2021.

Making Interiors Usable

The structural rehab of the Meetinghouse will sustain it for another century, but the building is not yet ready for use. Besides completing the Accessibility Connector, the upper-level Sanctuary and the lower-level meeting and function rooms all need rehab.

The massive Sanctuary project (2021) requires: abating pealing lead ceiling paint and cracking asbestos floor tiles; repairing historic plaster walls; returning the pipe organ; applying new finishes throughout; and upgrading electrical, lighting, and multimedia systems.

The lower level will have a large meeting hall, conference room, music room, and history museum, all of which need to be designed and built (2023).

Why Preserve the Meetinghouse?

Built by the descendants of the first settlers of old Nutfield, the Meetinghouse is a significant historic landmark and a destination for scholars and tourists from New England, Northern Ireland, and around the world. It has served as the center of religious and civic life­—hosting Derry Town Meetings for 150 years, for example—and appears in the town seal and more as a beautiful reminder of the New England village image we cherish and lifestyle we strive to retain.

Today over 30 community and social groups use the First Parish facility, and the new spaces in the finished Meetinghouse will serve the community even better. The Sanctuary itself—with excellent acoustics, accessibility, and heating—will be a beautiful new mid-size hall for concerts, lectures, and more.

Help Make this Happen

The small but passionate First Parish congregation has so far raised over $1M, with grants, community fundraising, and a bank loan bringing the amount invested to over $1.6M. Now another $1M – $1.5M is needed to finish the job, hopefully on the schedule shown. 

The congregation continues to give, but more help is needed from the community. The Friends of the Meetinghouse, a separate 501(c)(3) organization, offers multiple ways to give, with grateful acknowledgments for individuals and families and effective promotion for companies and organizations. 

Your support can make all the difference; please visit the Facebook and website destinations below to learn more about the projects and how you can help.

Historic Preservation Projects

The current work to repair, restore, and preserve the Meetinghouse began in 2011 with a comprehensive analysis and development of a formal plan to address the many problems found. 

A series of rehabilitation projects then began in 2012, and stretch through 2019.

Urgent Fixes, Structural Analysis, and Stabilization

The historic architect authoring the master plan identified several critical issues that were addressed in 2012: the exterior was repainted, some electrical problems repaired, and other fixes were made.

In 2013, a team of historic timber frame experts studied the entire Meetinghouse, and developed a 3D structural analysis report showing the state of all its frame elements. This identified the many parts of the structure needing replacement or serious repair, and highlighted the Tower in particular as needing quick help. This came in the form of an Urgent Stabilization project, in which modern dimensional lumber was temporarily installed in key locations on the interior to shore up the Tower and stop its growing separation from the Meetinghouse end wall. 

This provided a safe period in which further preservation work could be planned, and the funds for it raised.

Tower Rehabilitation

Severe age and weather damage meant the top of the Tower, the Steeple, had to be removed and lowered in September 2015. It initially stood on the church lawn, but was so decayed it was instead disassembled and moved to a nearby shop.

The detailed restoration of the delicate Steeple elements is scheduled to take place during early 2018. The Tower base and adjacent wall are being repaired in the summer of 2017. The restored Steeple will hopefully return to its lofty location in the summer of 2018.

New Foundation and Frame Repair

The Meetinghouse rested for centuries on a granite block and rubble stone foundation, with bare dirt underneath. After 2016 excavation, lifting, and cement work, the building now rests on a state-of-the-art modern foundation. Extensive repairs to the lower timber frame have further given the Meetinghouse a solid, level, decay-free base.

In keeping with the principles of historic rehabilitation, the old granite foundation stones were saved, sliced, and used as a veneer to cover the exposed concrete. The building is sound and level for the first time in a century or two, but continues to look very much like it did to its original builders 250 years ago.

New Accessibility Connector

Along with the Foundation project, a substandard connection between the Meetinghouse and the modern Noyes building was replaced by a new structure in 2016.

This Accessibility Connector will receive a welcoming entry lobby, a large elevator and wide staircase, and a window-lined corridor to the Sanctuary, hopefully in 2018. This new Connector will provide convenient handicapped accessibility to all levels of the facility. The beauty of the rehabilitated Meetinghouse will finally be readily available to everyone in the community.

Roof Frame and Surface

Rehabilitation of the roof is planned for the  summer of 2018. The existing 1884 slate will be removed, the underlying timber frame repaired and augmented, and the original plus matching new slates reinstalled.

Interior Refurbishments

Late 2017 through 2018 should see work on the upper and lower interiors.

The asbestos-tile Sanctuary floor will be abated, final flooring installed, walls restored and painted, electrical fixtures updated, and additional projects executed as needed. Rooms in the lower level will be reconfigured to better support community and church needs.

All this plus a new history museum will set the stage for celebrating the 300th Anniversary of Nutfield in 2019.