Meeting Hall Addition

Built in the 1840s, First Parish of Westwood could triumphantly point to its Meeting House on the Rock as a long-standing icon of the community’s fellowship and faith in one another.  But even with a renovation in the late 1960s from over $185,000 in pledges, and celebration of its 200th birthday in September of 2009, the Meeting House had grown to a new level of need which required improvements to continue the proud service to its congregation.

Holmes & Edwards, Inc., architects based in Quincy, came up with a design involving the removal of over 1,000 cubic yards of ledge to make room for the addition itself, as well as an expanded parking area.

Excavation and pouring the new foundation required special consideration.  Curtis Construction worked closely with the architect to ensure that safety was a priority in setting the new foundation and constructing the adjoining wall, which required careful maneuvering of labor and equipment to ensure minimal stress on the existing structure.  This was achieved by reducing vibrations and providing extra shoring to scale down the impact of the construction efforts. 

The congregation celebrated the opening of the parish’s new meeting house with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in September 2017.  The new 11,000-square-foot building includes an elevator to provide greater ease of access to all parishioners; a custom fireplace; a full kitchen featuring state-of-the-art appliances; and an office with meeting spaces and common areas, all fitted with modern amenities.