Restoration of the First Congregational Church Resumes
November 4, 2022
Our team is making moves to restore the historic stone manse at the First Congregational Church on 251 Main St.
The manse is part of the 1.5-acre complex of the church sanctuary. The church was founded in 1743, while the stone structure building was completed in 1882. The manse was built in 1880 with locally quarried limestone and, in 1884, was given to the church, then known as the First Congregational Society of Great Barrington, by Mary Francis Sherwood Hopkins, the widow of railroad tycoon Mark Hopkins.
The manse, sanctuary, and carriage house of the church building were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in August 1992.
The project’s first phase involves restoring two sides of the building’s stonework and facades, including the sides of the building facing Main Street and the Mason Public Library. The second phase of the project involves restoring the remaining two sides of the building, along with the repair of stonework, facades, and crack sealing.
