First Parish Lexington  Lexington, MA

Thanks in part to the firm’s Historic Structures Report, it was uncovered that as a comprehensive renovation of the First Parish Meeting House neared completion in December 1846, the building was lost to fire. The parish lost no time procuring land for a new church and by February 1847 a new building was constructed facing the Lexington Common. Local builder Isaac Melvin’s design for the meeting house, which reprised the plan used for the lost church, relied heavily on the pattern books of Asher Benjamin. Additions and alterations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries added stylistic features that reflected changing tastes.

The aforementioned Historic Structures Report was performed in 2015 at the request of the Lexington Community Preservation Committee. The report traced the developmental history of the structure, assessed exterior and interior conditions, and identified character defining features that define the building’s unique historic presence.  In 2016, the firm prepare a conditions assessment with treatment recommendations for restoration of the church and in 2020 we began work on infrastructure improvements to the sanctuary, including fire suppression, HVAC, and upgrades to energy-efficiency through insulation.  At the request of the church, our firm will soon prepare a master plan for assembly and performance functions.