Last updated on January 28, 2026
The First Church of Jamaica Plain has had a very successful capital campaign during the last several months to raise money for a new roof, install solar panels, and rebuild its clock and bell tower.
But there’s more: the church also formed the Monument Square Meetinghouse Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the building and grounds — and its first mission is to restore the church’s historic graveyard.
The current church and parish hall were built in the 1850s, and thanks to the capital campaign the sanctuary has a new roof with historically accurate slate, and solar panels have been installed. Tim Williamson, grants manager for the capital campaign project, said clock faces in the tower were restored, and restoration of the bell tower’s masonry is now happening.
“The church raised about a third of the money from members and friends of the congregation,” said Williamson. The Boston Community Preservation Act program contributed over $1 million, and we also got generous grants from the Massachusetts Historic Commission, the Henderson Foundation, and the National Trust for Historic Places.”
Giulia Norton, one of the founders of the new nonprofit talked about its first major project: restoring the Jamaica Plain Burying Ground.
“Professional restorers will clean gravestones and monuments and fix those that are leaning dangerously. First Church members also aim to highlight the history of the church,” said Norton. “They have recently posted signs about the church’s history along Centre Street and plan to find new ways to tell the story about JP residents who attended the church.”
