First Unitarian Church of Providence exterior undergoing $1M renovation

PARISHIONERS OF THE First Unitarian Church of Providence at 1 Benevolent St. have raised $1.2 million in the past two years to cover the renovation of the exterior of its meeting house, including the steeple. / PBN PHOTO/MARY MACDONALD
PARISHIONERS OF THE First Unitarian Church of Providence at 1 Benevolent St. have raised $1.2 million in the past two years to cover the renovation of the exterior of its meeting house, including the steeple. / PBN PHOTO/MARY MACDONALD

PROVIDENCE – The view of College Hill in Providence for the next several months will include scaffolding around one of its oldest churches.

The First Unitarian Church of Providence, 1 Benevolent St., is undertaking a significant renovation of the exterior of its meeting house, including the steeple. The project will be covered by $1.2 million raised by parishioners over the past two years.

The work began in April and is expected to be complete by August. The contractor is E.F. O’Donnell & Sons Co. of Providence, who specialize in historic church renovation.

The project is the most significant work conducted on the 200-year-old meeting house in several decades, according to the Rev. Elizabeth Lerner Maclay. The work will include exterior painting and rehabilitation as well as repointing of masonry.

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Once it became clear the exterior of the building had deteriorated and needed to be repaired, the congregation raised the funds through a capital campaign. The effort predates Lerner Maclay, who became the minister in 2017.

“This church has been a landmark in the city,” she said.

The steeple, which includes a bell cast by the Paul Revere foundry, has wood that is unprotected and is exposed to the elements, she said. This structure is among the newer elements, dating to the 1960s and replacing an earlier version damaged by fire.

Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.

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