Historic Lowell, Massachusetts

This past weekend was the annual Doors Open Lowell tour. This event offers an inside look into many of the magnificent historic buildings in Lowell, Massachusetts. The event brings back many memories for us, as M&A Architectural Preservation was based out of Lowell in the 80s and 90s, before moving to Lawrence in 2000. We had the great pleasure of working on many of the buildings on the tour including the following:

St. Anne’s Church 

227 Merrimack Street

This Gothic Revival church (1825) originally provided public worship for the mill girls and is the home of several Tiffany stained glass windows.

Rich Muckle of M&A Architectural Preservation recalls designing a glazing system to protect and preserve the glorious stained glass windows at St. Anne’s. We also restored the church tower and fa?ade. 

First United Baptist Church

99 Church Street

The Greek Revival style First United Baptist Church (1826) was the second church to be founded in Lowell.

M & A restored the exterior of the church, and we remember with great pride, having found wrought iron dating back to the time the church’s Paul Revere bell was made, and rehanging the bell.

Appleton Mills - Mill No. 5

250 Jackson Street

Appleton Mill No. 5 (1873) has been redeveloped into a blend of artists, independent retail, and performance/theater space with an interior composed of salvaged historic buildings from throughout New England.

M&A Architectural Preservation implemented an innovative stabilization technique for a pair of massive, free-flying, five-story wood staircases

View the case study.

Pollard Memorial Library

401 Merrimack Street

The restored Richardsonian Romanesque Pollard Memorial Library (1893) continues to serve as Lowell’s library today.

M&A restored the windows and masonry as well as the beautiful, Civil-War era, terra cotta panels. 

Apartments at Boott Mills

130-141 John Street

The Boott mill yard is one of the most historic and architecturally significant mill yards in the country, constructed between 1835 and the early 20th century. 

M&A did structural repairs and restoration to the cupola and weathervane. A favorite memory of Rich Muckle's is being at the top of the cupola, stabilizing the structure for Lowell National Historic Park. View the case study here.

Thank you for taking this walk down memory lane with us and we hope that you will visit historic Lowell this summer!