Lincoln, MA Charles Construction Company Inc. completed the renovation/addition of The First Parish Lincoln (FPL). Located at 4 Bedford Rd., the new 6,000 s/f addition includes a function hall, meeting room, pantry, all of which includes hand-crafted woodwork, along with the rehabilitation of the 100-year-old existing structure.

The FPL was formed in 1942 as a welcoming community church by the Congregational and Unitarian churches in town. The church was originally constructed in 1842 by the Unitarians as they broke off from churches in the surrounding towns. The church was rebuilt in 1859 due to a fire and later rebuilt in 1892 in which we are left with the church that stands today. The parishioners added a new wing, known as the “Stearns Room” during the 1960s and due to the aging characteristics needed an update. The First Parish Lincoln decided to tear down the addition and rebuild. This decision lead to a plan and design phase, spanning a 10-year period.

The Parish worked closely with Maryanne Thompson Architects, Ken E. Hurd & Associates, Garcia, Galuska, Desousa Consulting, Samiotes Consultants Inc, and Roome & Guarracino LLC to ultimately overcome the site’s unique set of challenges. This resulted in a design for the ideal Stearns Room addition replacement to meet both current and future needs. 

The project took roughly a year to complete and features endless runs of custom milled cedar for the windows, door casings, ceilings, and architectural details. The existing building was thoroughly restored to its original state while adding a series of safety and accessibility requirements.

In addition to the design team, the Parish was led by Peter Sugar of Peter Sugar Architect, and Ken Bassett of Sasaki.

 “Our goal here was to meet the level of standards the award-winning architects Ken Hurd and Maryann Thompson have come to expect from their detail-oriented designs, while maintaining the functionality and durability the Parish would need to make this project last through the years to come,” said Alex Matses, project manager for Charles Construction. “I can say that everyone at Charles Construction is extremely proud of what our carpenters accomplished, and believe beyond a fraction of a doubt we met our goal.”