In the News

Today, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal (D – 1st Massachusetts District) joined Carrie Greene, president of the Williamstown Meetinghouse Preservation Fund, to announce $500,000 in federal funding for the Williamstown Meetinghouse.

This allocation was made possible through Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Rep. Neal included funding for this project in the fiscal year 2024 spending bill that was signed into law by President Biden on March 9, 2024. Funding for this project has been obligated.

Upon the incorporation of Williamstown in 1765, the Massachusetts Bay Colony required a Settled Minister, resulting in the construction of a meetinghouse that would serve as a church (the First Congregational Church), the seat of town governance, and the center of community activities. After the first two meetinghouses were lost to fire, the current meetinghouse was built in 1869, with the original Romanesque structure renovated to the current colonial style in 1913. The land was donated by Williams College, provided that convocations, commencements, and weekly mandatory church services could be held in the building.

The Williamstown Meetinghouse has continued to serve as a central meeting place for Williamstown, bringing both community organizations and nonprofit events under one roof. This includes senior center activities, youth job training, Red Cross Blood drives, Take and Eat, Buxton School graduation ceremonies, and ABC Clothing Drives.

“As we witness continued challenges to the congressional spending power under Article I of our Constitution, today is a reminder of why the power of the purse rests with Congress. It is the legislative branch, not the executive, that knows the needs of our individual communities and how federal dollars can be of assistance,” said Rep. Neal. “The Williamstown Meetinghouse is a mainstay of North County. For more than two centuries, it has faithfully served the Town of Williamstown by providing a place for civic engagement, community gatherings, and local decision-making. This investment will ensure this institution’s place in the Williamstown community for generations to come.”

The Meetinghouse has great potential to expand the community center services it offers, but the building requires investment in order to bring it into compliance with the Americans with Disability Act and the principles of universal design. This funding will contribute significantly to these efforts, including the construction of an elevator, a new entrance ramp, accessible bathrooms, and improved exit lighting and doors. This project will ensure that this iconic building in the center of both Williamstown and the Williams College campus is accessible to all those who seek to use it, helping the Meetinghouse expand its outreach and footprint in the community.

“The Meetinghouse building boasts a lovely community hall, a professional kitchen, and the best pipe organ in town, but until it is brought up to code and made fully accessible to all, it cannot be a true community resource,” said Williamstown Meetinghouse Preservation Fund President Carrie Greene. “We can’t thank Rep. Neal enough for helping us to achieve this goal.”

Under guidelines issued by the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, members of Congress requested CDS funding for projects in their state for fiscal year 2024. CDS requests were restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities were permitted to receive CDS funding.