In the News

Shawmut Project Manager Andy Felix (far left) and Director of Historic Preservation, Carl Jay (left) stand with African Meeting House architects, clients, Project Superintendent Phil McNally (third from right, rear), and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (center).

Boston, MA – Governor Deval Patrick received the first official tour of the newly renovated African Meeting House today.  The Beacon Hill landmark has been closed for four years while being restored to its 1855 condition by Boston-based Shawmut Design and Construction.  Built in 1806, the 1,500-square-foot meeting house is described as the oldest existing building of its kind in the nation, and is slated to re-open to the public in December, 2011.

“The African Meeting House is a treasure, a monument to freedom for all people,” said Governor Patrick. “It has served diverse communities through history and today as a haven for discussion and learning.”

“Governor Patrick’s dedication, along with the hard work of so many others has truly revitalized this amazing place,” said Beverly Morgan-Welch, Executive Director of the Museum of African American History.  “When we reopen to the public in December, we will mark not only this building’s 205th anniversary, but we will celebrate the important events that have taken place here.  Visitors will be able to sit in the very pews where others sat so long ago to watch Frederick Douglass and countless others who helped change our nation’s history.” 

“This exciting project has incorporated experts from all areas of the historical preservation and restorative fields,” said Carl Jay, Director of Historic Preservation for Shawmut Design and Construction.  “Our team has worked diligently and thoroughly in a challenging condensed space to revive and update this important piece of American history, and we believe the public will be thrilled to re-live the amazing history of this place when it re-opens to the public in the coming months.”

With support of Governor Patrick and the National Park Service, a $4-million federal stimulus grant was awarded to the African Meeting House to restore the building to its 1855 condition.  Shawmut Design and Construction was chosen to restore the structure based on their experience in the area of historic restoration. Shawmut worked in collaboration with the Museum of African-American History, owners of the National Historic Landmark building since 1972. 

All pews, wall finishes, cast-iron posts and early 19th-century building features were completely restored or replicated to appear as they did at the height of the New England abolitionist movement.  In addition to the historical renovation, modern upgrades were installed such as an external elevator and newly designed stairwell to enable handicap access to the upper floors, and the building’s electrical, heating and cooling systems were all replaced.