Built in 1723, known to all as the Old North Church, Boston’s oldest surviving church building and most visited historical site in the city.
For more than 100 years, church members of Old North were allowed to bury their dead within tombs constructed in the crypt under the church. Thirty-eight tombs were constructed in total. Well over 1,000 individuals were buried in the crypt between its opening in 1732 and its final closing in the 1860s.
It is these crypts, located in the basement of the church, Knollmeyer Building Corp. was hired by the National Parks Service to repair. The KBC Team restored the basement, including the repair and replacement of deteriorated brick, mortar and tomb doors and hardware.
There was also be accessibility improvements to the crypts by removing the existing interior walkway and installing a new accessible path of travel. HVAC, electrical and handrails at the existing interior columbarium were all updated and brought up to current code.
Lauren Knollmeyer was the Project Manager for KBC. Her past historical project experience includes working on several projects at the Custom House in Boston.
The Superintendents on the project were Sergio Perez and KBC Safety Officer Mike Maxwell, both of whom have been employed by KBC for more than 20 years. Each who possess experience working on many historical projects throughout the Greater Boston Area the past 20 years.
Representing the foundation Old North Illuminated is Executive Director Nikki Stewart, Director of Operations and Retail Pam Bennett and the Old North Church’s First Female Sexton Chelsea Millsap.
Overseeing the the KBC Team opening of each tomb was Archaeologist Jane Rousseau, who have been involved with this project and the study of the crypts for the better part of the past decade.
The project is complete and the crypt area below the church is currently open for daily tours.
