The long-awaited repairs to our home at 66 Winthrop Street are underway! Essential infrastructure repairs to the University Lutheran church building began on July 27, 2026, and will continue through the fall. The project includes repair of the Sanctuary roof and bell tower; mitigation of various areas of water intrusion into the building; remediation of hazardous materials; and other small repairs. Another project, adding a safety enclosure over the boiler room emergency exit, was completed in December.
During the project, worship and other building uses will continue as usual. All doorways will be protected from debris, and the ramp will always be kept open. Please call ahead before dropping by during the week, since church staff may occasionally work remotely to avoid noise.
Project schedule
July and August
- Week of July 27 — Set up scaffolding, ensure safety of work site
- Week of August 3 — Hazardous material abatement on the roof and the west glass block wall
- Week of August 10 — Complete roof hazardous material abatement; prepare for roof work
- Week of August 17 — Begin roof work including roofing insulation; begin belfry work
- Week of August 24 — Continue roof work, including installing insulation board and roof substrate; begin masonry repointing and work on planters
- Week of August 30 — Continue roof and masonry work; structural review work on belfry; begin installing metal roof panels and gutters/trim
September
- Week of September 7 — Continue roof panel work, gutters; complete masonry repointing and planter work
- Week of September 14 — Roof panel, gutter work; belfry roof work
- Week of September 21 — Continue roof work; begin work on south glass block caulking
- Week of September 28 — Continue previous projects.
Thank you!
We are grateful to all who are working on and supervising this project, including UniLu building manager Lorraine Fitzmaurice, the UniLu Building Committee, owner’s representative Kaitlin McCarthy, Andrew Sidford Architects, Sea-Dar Construction, and Le Messurier Engineering.
Many thanks to those whose financial contributions made this essential work possible:
- Members, friends, and alumni/ae of University Lutheran Church
- Friends of the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter
- The Cambridge Redevelopment Authority’s Forward Fund, through a grant to the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter Corporation
- The Cambridge Historical Commission, through its Preservation Grants program
For information on making a donation, visit our Giving page.
