NEWBURYPORT, Mass. — If you have attended a Belleville Roots concert in recent years or plan to enjoy the concert this month by Grammy nominated guitarist and songwriter Bill Kirchen, know that you have helped the on-going campaign to restore the church’s historic Meetinghouse ceiling and preserve one of the city’s most visible landmarks.
Kirchen, who founded the band Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, appears this month on the cover of Vintage Guitar Magazine. His high-octane concert is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at Belleville Church, 300 High Street.
The 600-seat Meetinghouse is known for its superb acoustics and hosts church services, the NewburyportChoral Society, theater productions, organ concerts and weddings as well as the Roots Music Series.
Because of the aging “horsehair” plaster, the church temporarily closed the Meetinghouse in 2024. The concerts were moved to the smaller Stage Room.
In the first step of a multi-year effort to preserve and maintain the almost 200-year-old Meetinghouse, construction crews are removing the 5,750-square-feet of “compromised” plaster and will install a new ceiling.
“We are eager to reopen our Meetinghouse and return it to full use for worship, concerts, and community events.” said pastor Ross Varney, “We hope to have a grand re-opening in time for Christmas services.”
The total project cost is estimated at $430,000.
Like other Newburyport churches, the city’s Community Preservation Funds contributed $91,211. To raise the additional fund the church created a Gofundme page at https://gofund.me/f9db9f7d6. Donations can also be mailed directly to the church.
Kirchen’s trademark song, Hot Rod Lincoln, hit the Top Ten in 1972. Kirchen calls his sound “dieselbilly,” drawing on his fondness for country’s big rig truck-driving songs and the Bakersfield Sound.
His latest recording Cat out of the Bag was released May 22 on Last Music Company. For more on Kirchen, visit https://billkirchen.com.
With a mission of “Building Community Through Music,” the Roots concert series was launched in the spring 2011, bringing internationally acclaimed performers to Newburyport. Its second mission strived to use the concerts to raise money to help restore the historic building.
Its steering committee includes Joe Carper, Donna Wilson Irwin and Ken Irwin, Shana Kelley, Kathleen Miller, Patsy Nelson, Kathy Rand and Varney.
To learn more and help with the ceiling restoration project, please contact Belleville Meetinghouse fundraising via email at office@belleville-church.org or visit www.Bellevillechurch.org.♦
