Grade changes made to an adjoining T station entrance had diverted water against the exterior wall of the Church. This saturated the brick and mortar and subsequently the wood paneling and bench seating against the wall. The result was peeling paint and rotting of the bench sills, which led to separation of panels from their frames and other types of damage. Conservation of these historic panels was also complicated by the fact that they had repaired several times and were made up of bits and pieces of panels from other locations. While the effected panels were probably not original, some may have come from the reconstruction of the church interior after its destruction by the British during the occupation of Boston during 1775-6.
The specifications did not call for the use of epoxies, so all repairs were restored using "dutchmen" type repairs applied to preserve and strengthen the surviving panels. Once these repairs were completed the sections were transported to the Meetinghouse for installation and painting.
