Getting a closer look

By Jonah Frangiosa

» jfrangiosa@eagletribune.com

NORTH ANDOVER — It was 250 years ago when Paul Revere called out to his compatriots with the famed warning: “The British are coming!”

This past weekend, residents came upon the revelation that a powerful piece of that history has resided in their backyard all along.

On Saturday, the Friends of the 1836 Meeting House, in partnership with Revolution 250, opened the doors of the North Parish Church to the public, guiding guests on a heavenly ascent into the steeple of the centuries-old structure on Academy Road.

Founded in 1645, the North Parish congregation first established their church on the homelands of the Pennacook tribal nation. The more modern meeting house in North Andover has acted as a place of worship since the church was built in 1836.

With creaking floorboards and steep staircases, the historic church has undergone several significant renovations over the years to preserve the soul of its architecture.

Tour groups began the vertical journey, led by John Lennhoff, a retired engineer who now dedicates his services to the religious institution. First came a behind-the-scenes look at the church’s organ, as folks caught a glimpse of the inner workings of the instrument.

A complex system of cogs and pipes is nestled in a wooden cubby above the sanctuary where a congregation of 300 members gathers. The organ lays there, connected through several dozen windpipes that stretch upwards through the base of the steeple.

The tourists hunched over and ducked under low beams as they ventured upward, carefully moving to avoid hitting their heads and ringing their own bells. Narrow wooden staircases led the group to a room housing the church clock — a mechanism dating back to 1762. Despite its age, the cog-and-gear contraption has adapted to modern times with a computerized system to keep it on track.

From the church’s organ to its heart, the tour arrived at the 1,200-pound bell cast by Revere and Son, the family business of Paul Revere, from the late 18th to early 19th century. Lennhoff said the bell was purchased for $540, which converts to about $18,500 today.

He said that Revere and Son produced over 950 bells during the patriot’s time

SEE REVERE, PAGE 2

John Lennhoff, left, speaks during a steeple tour to see the Paul Revere Bell inside the tower of The North Parish of North Andover Unitarian Universalist Church. The Friends of the 1836 Meeting House conducted steeple tours to see the bell. The bell was made by Paul Revere and his son Joseph in 1806.

TIM JEAN/ Staff photos

The Paul Revere Bell inside the tower of The North Parish of North Andover Unitarian Universalist Church.

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with the foundry. Of those, only 23 remain intact and in use today, with many being lost to cracks, fire, or the test of time.

One of those 23 now rests in a wooden belfry at the peak of the North Andover church.

Visitor Mary Doughty, and her husband Chris, were stunned to see the Revere relic up close despite it being nearby for decades.

“We’ve lived here for 25 years and ever since I found out that one of Revere’s bells was here, I’ve been curious about it ever since,” Mary said.

“But, I just can’t believe it’s right here.”

The bell was not in operation at the time, although, as Lennhoff said some concerns of its condition have struck in recent months.

A guest of a previous tour noticed a mark on the bell’s surface, claiming there was a crack on the exterior. The tour guide said that a “bell expert” visited the church for a closer look at the blemish and determined that it was not a crack, but rather a natural defect caused by mold.

Lennhoff continued by explaining that the bell was cast from a molten-brasslike material and placed into a mold made of cow dung, plaster, and straw.

However, the inspection proved useful as the expert discovered a problem with the bell’s hanging hardware.

The bell has been silent since February and is still undergoing repairs, with Lennhoff estimating it will return to ringing in June or July.

“It stands on its own,” he said. “This has gone centuries without fail and it is unlikely to succumb to a crack.”

Keeping everything intact requires resources and preserving such a historic meeting house has proved to be a costly mission.

Gary Martin, a committee member overseeing restoration efforts, said the church is battling the elements, whether that be windblown rain, water damage, or woodpeckers.

The church has received quotes totaling more than $1.2 million for restoration work, including repairs to the roof, steeple, spires, and many other projects. Utilities and maintenance alone cost tens of thousands of dollars annually, according to Martin.

The Friends of the 1836 Meeting House have raised $902,000, boosted by a $408,000 grant approved at the 2024 North Andover Town Meeting from the Community Preservation Fund. What’s left is a $298,000 deficit to ensure the holy institution stays in shape.

The group has called on the community, asking for donations and for folks to visit 1836meetinghouse.org where more information is available.

John Lennhoff, center, talks about the organ pipes while visitors walk through a narrow walkway and up several ladders during a steeple tour to see the Paul Revere Bell inside the tower of North Parish of North Andover. TIM JEAN/ Staff photos

The North Parish of North Andover Unitarian Universalist Church. It’s also known as the Meeting House and was built in 1836.

A small room houses the internal parts of the clock inside the tower of The North Parish of North Andover Unitarian Universalist Church.

The Paul Revere Bell inside the tower of The North Parish of North Andover Unitarian Universalist Church.

Protesters gathered in the traffic circle seen through a window slit inside the tower of The North Parish of North Andover Unitarian Universalist Church.

Visitors make their way up a narrow walkway and up several ladders during a steeple tour to see the Paul Revere Bell inside the tower of the North Parish of North Andover.