Lowell’s Boat Shop Receives Massachusetts Historic Preservation Grant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lowell’s Boat Shop Contact
Anne Bryant, Digital Producer, news@lowellsboatshop.org
Preservation Massachusetts Contact
Jessica Rudden-Dube, jruddendube@preservationmass.org
617-723-3383
1772 Foundation Contact
Ethiel Garlington, ethiel@1772foundation.org
LOWELL’S BOAT SHOP RECEIVES MASSACHUSETTS HISTORIC PRESERVATION GRANT
Amesbury National Historic Landmark is One of 15 Projects to Receive Matching Funds for Exterior Work on Historic Buildings
AMESBURY, MA—Preservation Massachusetts, in partnership with The 1772 Foundation, has announced that Lowell’s Boat Shop and Museum is one of many recipients of a historic preservation matching grant program in Massachusetts. The $10,000 matching grant will be used to restore the iconic 6-over-6 and 9-over-6 windows found throughout the Shop.
The last round of major work on the building was in 2019, and involved structural repairs and painting. McKay says the window repairs will be completed by fall of 2026, before another winter has the potential to do more damage.
Graham McKay, Executive Director of Lowell’s Boat Shop, says, “Given that our mission is to ‘preserve and perpetuate the art and craft of wooden boat building and promote the history of Lowell’s Boat Shop and its environs’, caring for this building is one of our constant concerns and major priorities. We’re grateful to Preservation Massachusetts and The 1772 Foundation for this grant.”
A majority of the standing structure at Lowell’s Boat Shop was built in 1860, and the workshop has been producing boats continuously since 1793. The south-facing windows looking out on the Merrimack River take the brunt of the weather and, as well as being architecturally interesting, serve a crucial purpose of providing abundant light for boatbuilders, students, and visitors to the National Historic Landmark.
Preservation Massachusetts is the statewide nonprofit historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving the Commonwealth’s historic and cultural heritage. The 1772 Foundation plays a leading role in promoting historic preservation nationwide.
In this latest grant round, The 1772 Foundation worked with statewide historic preservation nonprofit organizations, including Preservation Massachusetts, to administer 1:1 matching grants of up to $10,000 for individual projects. At their quarterly meeting, the trustees of The 1772 Foundation awarded $125,000 in grants to 15 Massachusetts projects, selected based on recommendations from Preservation Massachusetts. Grants will be used to fund exterior work on historic buildings across the Commonwealth.
Preservation Massachusetts’ Executive Director Jessica Rudden-Dube says, “The 2026 initial inquiry phase generated more than $622,000 in funding requests, underscoring the urgent and ongoing need for preservation investment across the Commonwealth… The dedicated work of organizations stewarding these irreplaceable resources ensures that the stories embedded in our built environment continue to inspire, educate, and strengthen communities for generations to come. We are deeply grateful for The 1772 Foundation’s continued partnership and proudly congratulate this year’s grant recipients.”
Lowell’s Boat Shop is a working museum and non-profit in their third century of boatbuilding and houses a museum of maritime artifacts, but also vigorously pursues their mission by hosting classes, apprenticeships, and events that give access to skill development in the shop and on the waterfront.
***
About Preservation Massachusetts
Preservation Massachusetts was established in 1985 as Historic Massachusetts, Inc. It serves as the statewide non-profit organization that actively promotes the preservation of historic buildings and landscapes as a positive force for economic development and the retention of community character. The organization is supported entirely by grants, fundraising events, and our membership. In keeping with our mission, we work in partnership with national, state, and local organizations, as well as individuals across the Commonwealth, to advance understanding, appreciation, and use of our historic places. For more information, please visit www.preservationmass.org.
About The 1772 Foundation
The 1772 Foundation was named in honor of its first restoration project, Liberty Hall in Union, N.J., which was built in 1772 and is the ancestral home of the Livingston and Kean families. The late Stewart B. Kean was the sole benefactor of The 1772 Foundation, which works to ensure the safe passage of our historic buildings and farmland to future generations. For more information, please visit www.1772foundation.org.