the 1836 meeting house

Boston architect Richard Bond designed the 1836 Meeting House in the Gothic style highlighted by large expanses of glass, clustered columns, and sharply pointed spires.  The structure is 70’ by 52’ which includes the large sanctuary and front entrance.  A balcony holds the organ and provides access to the steeple.  One floor above the balcony is the clock level, and on the floor above that resides the 1200-pound Revere bell and its support structure.  There are no internal support columns for the three story high ceiling in the sanctuary because the Bond design included robust wooden trusses located between the roof and ceiling. 

In 1834, the Meeting House construction budget included $6,000 for the church and $1,000 for the basement, money which was raised by the congregation.  When the structure was completed in 1836, the cost had risen to $11,400.  The 76 pews within the sanctuary were sold at auction to help pay for the increased cost, which raised an additional $5,000, fully paying for the new church.  The box pews that are still in place today were designed to keep in the heat on cold mornings, and some have family plaques in them.  It was fortunate that the Meeting House was built before the depression of 1837 hit, when there were bank failures and seven years of economic slump in the nation.