In 1794 the Town of Rindge voted to raze the old Meeting House which in the course of 30 years had grown inadequate, and to build a new one on its approximate site. Most of the money for the building was raised through the sale of pews. The contract was awarded to David and William Barker of Rindge. Work was completed in 1796, and the building dedicated on January 11, 1797.
As constructed, the Second Meeting House was one of the largest of the country meeting houses. The rectangular frame building was sited on a knoll in the center of the village. The main entrance was on the South side, and there were two tiers of windows on each of the four sides. Within the building the east half was the church, the west half, the Meeting House. Balconies, comprising the original second floor, overlooked the space below. (Sinnot conjectures that the building may have been a “three decker”, with two galleries, based on the present window arrangement in the west wall.)
The original bell tower projected from the west wall; it was square in plan and its height above the eaves equaled the distance from the eaves to the ground. There were four windows above the door in the west face of the tower. A balustrade at the top of the tower surrounded the eight columns which housed the bell and supported the eight-sided steeple.
In the intervening years, the old building has undergone alterations and renovations. These are as follows:
- A second floor was incorporated into the building to accommodate the sanctuary of the Church. The front of the building was extended to encompass the bell tower, the additional space providing foyers and access stairs to the new second floor. The steeple was remodeled and lowered 12 feet, because the fire pumper then available could not reach the original height. Apparently, at that time the seven original windows on each long side of the second floor were replaced by four larger windows on each side.
- The installation of a pipe organ necessitated the building of an addition at the eastern end of the building. On the first floor, the addition became a stage; on the second, it housed the organ. Money for this project financed by the Church was raised by the Ladies Vestry Association.
1947-48. Central heating and plumbing were installed.
1951-52. After the ceiling of the sanctuary fell, a domed, reinforced ceiling and new lighting were installed.
- The upper and lower lobbies were renovated.
1958-59. Renovation and refurnishing of the sanctuary was undertaken.
- The first floor was renovated.
One of the Bicentennial projects which Rindge has undertaken is the redecoration of the Town Hall portion of the Meeting House. This will involve painting, installing electric sconces, refinishing the floor, and installing a fabric curtain on the stage. Work on this project is underway.
The cemetery lies on rugged, rolling terrain immediately north of the Meeting House building and extending east beyond it some 100 yards. It has been so located since the original Meeting House was erected in 1764. It contains the graves of many of the earliest settlers and of veterans of the Revolution. Another Bicentennial project is to repair the gravestones and level and seed the oldest portion of the cemetery so that appropriate care can be more readily provided.
Originally two sets of horse sheds services the Meeting House. One set, on the west edge of the cemetery, has disappeared. Those along the south boundary of the cemetery remain in fair condition. Separate plans for their restoration are underway.