The 1836 Meetinghouse at 190 Academy Road has been the focus of preservation work by North Parish of North Andover Unitarian Universalist Church. The effort focused on the building's exterior and took place during spring and summer 2026.
The preservation effort, which took place during spring and summer 2026, aimed to create a watertight exterior envelope for the meetinghouse, according to the Eagle-Tribune. Plans called for exterior repairs, replacement of sections of wood siding, and work on the front facade. The steeple was slated for repair and repainting, and plans called for repairing or replacing the existing finials and spires. Exterior walls were slated for insulation to make the building more energy efficient and sustainable for future community use.
The preservation effort extended beyond routine exterior upkeep. North Parish member Debb Putnam was connected with the meetinghouse project.
A Building Rooted In Local History
The meetinghouse dates to 1836 and houses a working Paul Revere bell. Friends of the 1836 Meeting House describes it as one of only 23 remaining bells cast by the patriot's company. The bell is a working piece of Revolutionary-era history inside a congregation that still opens its sanctuary to outside groups for concerts and religious services.
North Parish sits prominently on the roundabout in North Andover's Old Center and is listed on both national and local Historic District Registers, according to the church's own account of its space. The 2026 work, dubbed the Green Envelope Project by the church, follows a long pattern of upkeep at the aging building, which the church says has undergone several significant renovations over the years. Between 2002 and 2014, the congregation planned, funded and completed two earlier building projects at a combined cost of $4.5 million.
Funding And Community Support
Friends of the 1836 Meetinghouse is a nonprofit whose stated mission is to inform, share and support ongoing preservation efforts for the building. North Andover town members approved a $480,000 Community Preservation Act grant in May 2024. Donors have stepped forward, though funds are still needed for the preservation effort.
North Andover's Community Preservation Act program exists to fund exactly this kind of work, among other community priorities. The town says CPA dollars can go toward preserving open space, historic buildings and landscapes, as well as affordable housing and recreational needs, according to North Andover's government. The meetinghouse has previously come up in town preservation discussions tied to the broader Town Common area, where proposals for a stage, the Stevens Estates' stables, North Parish and the Hay Scale building were all discussed, as reported by the Andover Townsman.
Church representatives presented maintenance plans to North Andover's Historical Commission in September, outlining proposed repairs, according to the Eagle-Tribune's earlier coverage. The preservation effort aims to create a watertight, insulated exterior envelope, helping the nearly two-century-old meetinghouse continue serving as a gathering place for North Andover's congregation and the wider community for years to come.
