Eliot Hall Restoration

Eliot Hall Exterior Restoration Project

On January 4 2027 the Footlight Club — “America’s Oldest Community Theater” will raise the curtain to celebrate its 150th anniversary in its beloved home, Eliot Hall. To prepare for this important celebration the Trustees of Eliot Hall are leading a project to restore the exterior of the building to its late 19th century appearance.

About the Eliot Hall Exterior Restoration Project

Over the next two years we will complete the Eliot Hall Exterior Restoration project, including:

  • carpentry and window preservation/restoration. Historic trim and quoins that cannot be preserved will be replicated to match existing historic profiles.

  • repairs and improvements to the building envelope, metalwork and exterior lighting.

  • painting in accordance with historic paint analysis. The color scheme dates to about the year the Footlight Club purchased Eliot Hall (1889).

This work is urgently needed to ensure we can preserve Eliot Hall’s historic fabric while making it more weather-tight, energy efficient, climate resilient, and secure. Initial work has already begun to show examples of our preservation efforts.

In 2008, when we last painted Eliot Hall, we stabilized the most concerning issues to protect the building knowing that a more comprehensive approach was needed. The interim time has taken a further toll on exterior building conditions. We are fortunate to retain our late 19th century windows but the sashes are in poor condition and require attention before they are beyond repair. Materials used in the 1980s to repair window sills and quoins have degraded, leaving those trim elements vulnerable to weather-related decay. The paint condition no longer protects the building.

Each element of the project is being reviewed to ensure the building continues to be a Jamaica Plain landmark for future generations.

You Can Help:

The Eliot Hall Exterior Restoration Project will cost approximately $450,000.00 — a significant sum for a small community theater that is 100% overseen, operated, and supported by dedicated volunteers and members like you. To date, we have raised nearly 50% of our project budget. We are writing grants, planning events, and launching our capital campaign to raise the remaining funding need. Please make your tax-deductible donation TODAY You can:

  • Donate to the Restoration Fund online now (www.footlight.org/EHFund) to keep our fundraising on track.

  • Send a check written to The Footlight Club; include a memo noting your Restoration Fund support. Mail your check to:
    The Footlight Club
    c/o Treasurer
    7a Eliot Street
    Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

  • Give via a donor advised fund or stock transfer; email treasurer@footlight.org for detailed information.

The Footlight Club | Eliot Hall is a 501c3 tax-exempt organization. Your donation, it is fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. For your records, the Footlight Club’s tax identification number is 04-2326895.

Our Exterior Restoration project signals that we are respectful of our neighborhood, care about being a welcoming presence to a diverse populace, and demonstrates our commitment to preserve Eliot Hall for future generations.

Please email trustees@footlight.org if you have questions, need additional information, or would like to help with this important project.