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Belleville Congregational Church seeks $170,000 from CPC to replace historic Meeting House ceiling; commission recommends letter
Summary
Representatives for Belleville Congregational Church told the Newburyport Historical Commission that original 1867 plaster is failing and asked for $170,000 in Community Preservation Act funds to replace the Meeting House ceiling. The commission voted to authorize a recommendation letter to the CPC, with one abstention for conflict of interest.
Belleville Congregational Church representatives asked the Newburyport Historical Commission on Jan. 22 for a Community Preservation Committee (CPC) recommendation to help fund a ceiling replacement at the church’s Meeting House at 300 High Street.
Jim Samuelson, speaking for the church, said pieces of original plaster fell from the 1867 ceiling in late 2023 and that expert inspection found the plaster "keys" holding the material to the lathe have disintegrated, creating a risk of further plaster release. Samuelson said church leaders closed the Meeting House for regular services and have been using a smaller chapel while they seek repairs.
Samuelson described two approaches: a historically faithful but costly repair using lath and plaster, and a modern approach involving demolition of the failing plaster and installation of blueboard (a cementitious backing) followed by a finish intended to preserve the ceiling’s appearance. He told commissioners he received multiple contractor quotes and that a local bid submitted Jan. 13 was lower than earlier estimates. The church has asbestos test results from December and said one contractor (listed in the church’s materials as Zampel) estimated a two-month construction schedule once funding and scheduling are in place.
Commissioners asked about acoustics, the curvature of the ceiling and structural load. Samuelson said engineers who reviewed the roof structure were comfortable with it and that blueboard can be installed to follow curved surfaces. He noted that reconstructing plaster in the original method would be substantially more expensive and that specialists practicing traditional plaster work are hard to find.
Samuelson asked the commission to support a CPC request for $170,000. Commissioner Glenn Richards disclosed a potential conflict — he said he is a former member of the church — and abstained from the commission’s vote. The commission moved to authorize the chair to write a recommendation letter to the CPC supporting the church’s CPC application; the motion passed with one recorded abstention.
What happens next: the church said contractors could work as soon as funding and scheduling are finalized, and the commission will forward its recommendation to the CPC. The church representatives said they will continue to coordinate final scope, contractor selection and any historic-preservation conditions that might be required by MHC or other reviewing bodies.
