This summer the Meeting House will undergo a major preservation and insulation project to protect the structure, reduce future heating costs and bring us one step closer to being a Net Zero congregation. The spires and finials atop the Sanctuary have rotted and now have holes which are a source of major leaks into the building. (Debb Putnam took pictures of birds currently nesting in some of the holes!) These will be replaced with new materials that are rot (and woodpecker) resistant.
The siding on the front, the steeple, and the Great Pond Road side of the Sanctuary will be removed, the walls will be well insulated and air sealed, and new siding will be installed and painted. The clapboards on the other two sides is in better shape, so only those that have started to rot will be replaced. In addition, a few rows of clapboards will be removed in order to blow in insulation. After replacing these rows, these sides will also be painted.
Another source of heat loss in the Sanctuary are the large historic windows which were all recently restored. Custom storm windows that match the look of the existing windows will be made and installed. These will both reduce heat loss and protect the historic windows.
Finally, the attic currently has some insulation that is not in very good shape. This will be cleaned out, and replaced so that the attic is better insulated and air sealed.
We are grateful to The Friends of the 1836 Meeting House, the Moose Moss Fund, Community Preservation Act funding and the Town of North Andover for making this project possible.