After years of research and dedication by its members, All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church of Braintree, Massachusetts, was recently honored with a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Along the way, the Church applied for and was granted Community Preservation funds from the Town of Braintree for repair of portions of the Church’s unique stone exterior. In order to receive the CPA funds, the Church was required to grant an Historic Preservation Restriction to the Town subject to the approval of the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Attorney Susan Murphy of Dain Torpy provided pro bono assistance to the Church in its preparation and negotiation of the Restriction. While such Historic Preservation Restrictions start with a standard form, each must be tailored to the historic aspects of the property. In addition, to address the structure’s religious purpose, the Restriction had to be modified so that the restrictions did not interfere with the Church’s Constitutional rights to free exercise of religion. With the cooperation of the Town, the Church, with Attorney Murphy’s assistance, was able to secure the funding necessary to preserve this beautiful and historic structure in a manner consistent with its mission. READ MORE
