“It was an eyesore, but it wasn’t a reflection of who we were inside;
God knows the heart of those who are inside the church.”
First Baptist Church Pastor Nathaniel Burnes, of the need for the makeover

New England weather has been rough on the exterior of historic First Baptist Church, causing the paint to fade and chip.

But the white clapboard Carpenter Gothic church is back to its original splendor after Arch Painters of Woburn last month applied new coats of paint to the church at the corner of Park and Lawrence streets.

“This is a long time coming,” said Nathaniel Burnes, pastor. “I’m excited for the church and the people.”

Burnes said painting the church has been a project he wanted to do since he arrived at First Baptist in 2016 as the first African-American pastor.

“The church needed to be painted then and it has gotten worse,” he said.

However, there were other improvements to be done at First Baptist including replacing the furnace, updating Fellowship Hall, redoing the kitchen, and buying new chairs and linens for the hall.

The painting project – which included scraping and caulking – cost $100,000 and funding came from a grant from Methuen Festival of Trees as well as donations from members and local businesses.

In addition to Arch Painting, Mark Yanowitz of LaGrasse Architects of Andover was a partner in the painting project.

“It was an eyesore, but it wasn’t a reflection of who we were inside; God knows the heart of those who are inside the church,” Burnes said.

First Baptist Church has 115 members, up from 73 when Burnes first became pastor.

The church was last painted 20 years ago, said Burnes, who sits on the Mayor’s Advisory Committee and is chaplain of the Methuen Police and Fire departments.

First Baptist was established in 1815 and the building was erected in 1869. The Carpenter Gothic design is similar to a structure seen in the painting “American Gothic,” featuring a couple holding a pitchfork.

First Baptist Church was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1984.

Burnes said the church will have a community celebration in October to thank those who supported the painting project.