Springfield's Old First Church is nearing the end of the first phase of a restoration project, with the steeple repaired, masonry repointed and its clock running again after at least a dozen years. Most exterior work on the 1819 Court Square landmark is expected to wrap up next month. The milestone leaves a larger question unresolved: what will the city use the building for once the work is done?
Kronenberger & Sons Restoration has been working on the building for several months, according to MassLive. The work includes repairing the steeple, repointing masonry, replacing age-damaged joists and repainting the structure. Crews are also replacing rotted wood with milled pieces matched to the original, the outlet reports.
The parish house at the rear is getting a new roof and decking, waterproofing and improved gutters, along with repairs or replacement of interior floors. At the entrance, workers are restoring the original wood columns rather than covering or replacing them. The work is being carried out to historic standards, according to the same account.
A Clock Ticking Again After a Dozen Years
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said the church clock is working again for the first time in at least a dozen years. The city hired a craftsman to repair its gears, cogs and pulleys and machine broken parts. Sarno has described Old First Church as part of Springfield's and America's history.
The city also hopes there will be enough money left to restore the antique rooster weathervane that once sat atop the steeple, according to Sarno, as reported by the same outlet. Springfield officials gathered recently to mark the progress on stabilizing and restoring the building, a project that comes with a hard deadline attached to its funding.
Funding Sources and a Looming Deadline
The project is described as part of a $2.6 million effort, according to WWLP. Accounts differ on the exact size of the federal share: MassLive reports the current restoration uses $2.3 million in remaining federal American Rescue Plan COVID relief funds, citing Sarno, while WWLP describes the city drawing on more than $2.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding. Both reports agree an additional $300,000 came from Community Preservation Act money.
Sarno said Springfield must spend the remaining pandemic relief funds by the end of 2026. The year also marks a decade since voters approved a 1.5% surcharge on tax bills to establish the Community Preservation Fund, which supports historic renovation, open-space preservation, recreation and affordable housing. Robert McCarroll has said voters intended the fund to support projects like the church restoration, according to MassLive.
How the Church Grant Fits the CPA Program
The church's $300,000 Community Preservation Act contribution is part of a broader program: according to the City of Springfield Community Preservation Committee, about $18 million in grants funded more than 100 projects from 2018 to 2025. The committee says CPA funding helped stabilize or restore 21 significant historic buildings. Those figures show the program's overall reach and its work on historic properties, but do not specify how much of the total grant funding went to historic preservation.
No Decision Yet on the Building's Future
The restoration has not settled what will happen inside the church. Deputy Development Officer Tina Quagliato Sullivan said the city is exploring possible uses, with accessibility a major challenge, according to MassLive. The parish house can be modified to add accessibility features, but state and federal historic-place rules limit changes to the church's front and sanctuary interior.
The city is consulting preservationists, outside experts and officials in other communities as it considers those constraints. WWLP has reported that no reopening timeline has been announced. A July 2026 report described the $2.6 million exterior project as an initial phase and said a future interior renovation could cost an additional $10 million.
A Building Woven Into Springfield's Past
Built in 1819, Old First Church is the centerpiece of the Court Square National Register District. The church was organized originally by Springfield founder William Pynchon, and Samuel Osgood was pastor when the current building was constructed. It also served as a stop on the Underground Railroad; former President John Quincy Adams lay in state there after his death in 1848, according to a report from WWLP-22News.
The church was damaged in the June 1, 2011, tornado, and Springfield repaired its roof afterward. Reports differ on when the city took ownership: MassLive's November report and WWLP say the city acquired the building in 2007 after its congregation disbanded, while an earlier July 2026 MassLive report gives 2008. The building was vacant for years before the current restoration.
Other recent Springfield projects give some sense of scale for what full restoration could eventually cost. A historic hotel at 31 Elm Street was restored and converted into apartments in 2024 for $62.8 million, and the Court Square park renovation, completed this year, cost $6.8 million, according to MassLive's earlier report on the church project.
