Hingham Congregational Church, 378 Main Street - Hingham, Mass.

Hingham, MA Acella Construction Corp. will provide construction management services for the historic circa-1847 Hingham Congregational Church (HCC), an open and affirming church of the United Church of Christ. The $3 million renovation will carefully balance the need to repair the building’s aging infrastructure, while respecting and preserving the house of worship, located at 378 Main St.

HCC is a landmark on Main St., prominently located at the turn at the intersection of Pleasant St., and affectionately known as the “Church with a Heart in the Heart of Hingham.” Plans to restore the building and beautify church grounds not only will preserve this historic New England scene for the town, but will glorify the spiritual experience for the congregation and enrich HCC’s service to the community.

The project began with a simple goal to make the building more accessible and welcoming. “The addition of a handicap ramp was the catalyst for the project,” said Roger Hoit, architect and member of the building and grounds team. “We wanted to create dignified access to the church sanctuary.” Handicapped, elderly and other physically challenged people currently enter the sanctuary behind the pulpit to access the church elevator. “We are grateful for the support of the Hingham Community Preservation Committee for funding $20,000 toward the addition of a ramp which will provide equal access to the sanctuary through the Church’s front door. The old and outdated elevator will also be replaced,” said Hoit.

As additional plans were made to update old, outdated spaces, the church discovered failing infrastructure and safety issues, and realized more work would be needed to bring the building up to code and up to date.

Kathi Blair, chair of the building committee, said, “After extensive research and listening to the congregation it was clear that we could not continue our mission and calling without investing in our property. We held a ‘Believe’ Campaign to raise much of the money needed to complete this important and historic project.”

Interior renovations will include a more spacious and welcoming fellowship hall for social events; updates to the kitchen, restrooms, vestry, classrooms, meeting and outreach spaces; and a new patio and children’s play area off the vestry to maximize and facilitate use of outdoor space.

Acella Const. was selected for the project in part based on its extensive experience with historic buildings and ecclesiastical clients. The construction management firm is presently completing renovation of the Hingham Historical Society’s Old Derby Academy / Hingham Heritage Museum. Acella has completed ecclesiastical projects for St. Luke’s Church in Scituate, Espirito Santo Catholic Church in Fall River and St. Gerard Majella Church in Canton.

Acella project manager Ryan Klebes and superintendent Tom DePalma will oversee the church renovation with RDA Associates as the architect of record. Estimated completion date of the project is April 2017.

“We are proud to bring our professionalism and historic renovation expertise to ‘Build Better’ for the Hingham Community. This worthwhile and enriching project will benefit Hingham Congregational Church, and help preserve a piece of Hingham’s heritage,” said Dave Dirubbo, president of Acella.

Historical artifacts may have been unearthed at the groundbreaking ceremony. The original corner stone of the building was laid on July 19, 1848, and a zinc box containing historical church documents was also buried on the site at the same time. Unsuccessful attempts to find the time capsule were made in 1947 for the church’s centennial celebration, and again in 1997 for its 150-year celebrations. The project’s extensive site work at the front entrance may increase the likelihood that the time capsule will be discovered. A new time capsule, highlighting important themes of HCC’s 2016 church life will be presented at the groundbreaking ceremony and later buried.

The reverend Peter Allen said, “We are excited to be upgrading our church home to make it more welcoming and to better reflect the healthy, hopeful, vibrant spirit of our congregation.”

Donation and additional information on the Believe Campaign for Hingham Congregational can be found at www.hccucc.com. Donations may be mailed to 366 Main Street, Hingham MA 02043, memo line “Believe Campaign.”