Irish Bash in Snazzy Apartment Will Help Somerville Museum

Here are two reasons you might want to show up at 1 Summer St. Friday night:

One: You're the sort of person who likes to check out cool real estate, especially when the real estate in question is a fancy three-level apartment in a converted Union Square church.

Two: You'd like to help the Somerville Museum.

I suppose there's also a third reason: It's St. Patrick's Day weekend, and the party at 1 Summer St. will celebrate Somerville's Irish heritage with a keg of Guinness, tons of food from local restaurants, beer samples from Pretty Things and Somerville Brewing Company, wine, root beer from Tower Root Beer, and live Irish music. Also, it starts at 5:30 p.m. and goes until 8 p.m., so it's the sort of thing you can do after work and before dinner.

And did I mention students will be dressed in historical garb to serve hors d'oeuvres?

The "Raising the Roof and More" party will benefit the Somerville Museum Building Fund. The museum got a new roof in the fall, and now it's raising money for painting and repairs. It needs to raise $30,000 by mid April in order to receive a matching grant from the state of $13,000.

Brandon Wilson, executive director of the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission, said the space where Friday's party is taking place is one of the main attractions.

Formerly the First Methodist Church, Vicky I and Philip Lamb, the owners, converted it into housing—caring for the building's historic significance, of course—and the biggest of those apartments, built in the church's former sanctuary, happens to be vacant at the moment. They decided to throw the party in the three-level, 5,000 square-foot space.

"It's the only time people will be able to see this space," said Wilson.

In addition to the killer setting and the food, drink and music, there will be a silent auction with a number of items on the block: Celtics tickets; a special dress created by Whats-Nü in Davis Square; a framed 1852 map of Somerville; a collection of Somerville books, some of them rare; a photo of Prospect Hill Park; gift certificates from around Somerville; an Irish drinking basket; movie tickets from Somerville Theatre, and more.

"A lot of people have donated" services and items for the party, Wilson said.

Tickets cost $50 and $40 for Somerville Museum members, seniors and students. You can reserve them by calling (617) 710-7453 or visiting the Somerville Museum Building Fund website. Or, you can get them on the door.