$400,000 grant awarded for the restoration of Old West Church

Life safety and accessibility improvements are coming soon.

The historic Old West Church in Boston's West End

BOSTON—The City of Boston has awarded $395,670 for the historic preservation of Old West Church. Upon recommendation by the City's Community Preservation Committee, this project will repair, reset, and stabilize the shifted, historic monolithic granite steps, walkway, and top landing at the main façade to improve life safety and accessibility for all. Additionally, the cracked retaining walls at the perimeter of the property, as well as the historic railing and gate ironwork, will be repaired and stabilized. This award is part of $38 million in funding for historic preservation, open space, and affordable housing projects throughout Boston, as announced by Mayor Michelle Wu on May 5.

This project is a long-time-coming, and is Old West Church's third CPA-funded project since the adoption of the Community Preservation Act in 2016. Previous historic preservation projects include the tower's restoration and window repairs. Work on this project must be completed by spring 2027.

Elsa Bengel, long-time member and primary writer of the original application, celebrated: “Removing and resetting the massive granite steps to make a new, wider top step and rebuild all the steps, is finally possible, improving safety and accessibility for everyone hosted at Old West. Monday Night Dinner guests, musicians and Food Forest stewards will be safer due to this work. The city makes this investment so that this place of service thrives.” 

Old West Church is the sixth home of the first congregation of the New England Conference of The United Methodist Church. This congregation was originally situated in Boston’s North End and known as “Methodist Alley.” Later it became the “First Methodist Church in Boston.”

A Registered National Historic Landmark, The West Church was built in 1806 by Congregationalists in the Federalist “meeting house” style of architecture. Once a safehouse on the Underground Railroad prior to the Civil War, the church is one of two post-colonial era buildings that survived the destruction of the West End during the “urban renewal” of the 1950s. Occupying higher ground than The North Church, the original 1737 building was destroyed in 1776 by the British during the Siege of Boston. From 1896 - 1960, the church served as the West End Branch of the Boston Public Library. It was purchased by the Methodist Church from the City of Boston in 1962, and became home to this justice-seeking congregation.

Missional sanctuaries like Old West Church are places of protection, refuge, and organizing—and are critically needed now more than ever. Old West Church, part of the Union Combined Parish, welcomes persons of all races, gender expressions, sexual identities, and status.