First Church in Roxbury
DREAM has been a skilled and steady partner in our work to restore a Boston Historic Landmark – the city’s oldest wood frame church.Â
The First Church in Roxbury stands as the oldest surviving wood-frame meetinghouse in Boston. Completed in 1804, the structure is a designated Boston Landmark defined by its prominent lantern steeple, which rises more than 100 feet above grade and features four elaborate stages topped by a domed roof and ornamental weathervane. Through a close collaboration between Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry and DREAM, the restoration of this landmark has meticulously preserved the building’s historic fabric while transforming the sanctuary into a fully accessible community hub.
The preservation effort required immense technical precision to address structural challenges without compromising the building’s integrity. To ensure modern safety standards, the team engineered a fire protection system designed to be as inconspicuous as possible. Inside the sanctuary, the work continues with the restoration of the 1883 Hook & Hastings organ, preserving its 19th-century mechanics to serve future generations. The team even took care to protect “historic graffiti,” hand-written notes left by workers in the bell tower dating back to the early 1800s, honoring the many hands that have maintained this space over the centuries.
By centering the restoration on accessibility and historical integrity, the preservation ensures that this landmark remains a welcoming “front porch” for the Roxbury community.
