Tower Restoration Project

The First Baptist Church bell tower was named “The America Tower” in 1932 after the tower and chimes were dedicated to Rev. Samuel Francis Smith, minister of the church from 1842-1854 and author of “America”, often known as “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”. The 90-foot octagonal tower is a striking feature of this Richardsonian Romanesque building.

The First Baptist Church Bell Tower Preservation Project will restore the structural integrity of the Bell Tower following the partial collapse of exterior stonework on the north face of the tower. Emergency stabilization work including the installation of dunnage and steel bracing was completed in 2022 with additional supports added in 2024.

In January, 2023, the interior platforms and bells were removed.

We anticipate masonry restoration work beginning in 2025 with the installation of a steel shoring system and reinstallation of exterior stonework with steel anchors. The full project includes fully cutting and repointing the entire tower, installing the interior platforms and ladders, and reinstalling the bells. This multi-year project should be completed in 2026 or 2027.

Once enough stabilization work has been completed to ensure the the tower is safe, we will be able to reopen the Sanctuary to community use. This will most likely be in late 2025 or Spring 2026.

The total cost of the project is $4.45 million. Thanks to the generosity of the City of Newton with a $2 million Community Preservation Act grant, the Massachusetts Historic Commission with a $100,000 grant from the MA Preservation Projects Fund, and funds committed by the church, we already have commitments for $3.3 million!

Our fundraising plans continue with our Opening Doors…Opening Hearts Campaign. While the construction is centered on the tower, opening the doors of our Sanctuary is what is dearest to our hearts and to the wider community. Through this campaign, we are opening the doors to our Sanctuary and opening the doors to the new possibilities that come with all that happens in this space. And we are opening hearts through acts of faithful generosity and through the ways people are impacted by their experiences in our reopened building. Donations can be made online or mailed to the church. Please note the Tower Project on your donation.

Donations can be made online or mailed to the church. Please note the Tower Project on your donation.