the sanctuary

The Sanctuary, the heart of the building, holds 76 box pews that are still in use today.  The enclosed seats were designed to keep in the heat on cold mornings, and some still have family plaques in them.  The balcony in the rear of the sanctuary holds the organ and provides access to the steeple, while the front of the balcony has a clock, which faces the pulpit and was was donated to the Meeting House by Mrs. Benjamin Lovejoy in 1852.  The clock is still in use today and keeps the Minister aware of the hour.  One floor above the balcony is the clock level, and a 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 architectural design included robust wooden trusses located between the roof and ceiling.