File No. 70-8969

                          UNITED STATES
                SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                     Washington, D.C.  20549


               PRE EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO THE
                             FORM U-1
                   APPLICATION AND DECLARATION
                            UNDER THE
            PUBLIC UTILITY HOLDING COMPANY ACT OF 1935


                       UNITIL CORPORATION 
                       6 Liberty Lane West
                  Hampton, New Hampshire  03482          
           (Name of companies filing this statement and
             address of principal executive offices) 

                        UNITIL CORPORATION             
             (Name of top registered holding company 
              parent of each applicant or declarant)

                          Gail A. Siart
                            Treasurer
                        UNITIL CORPORATION
                       6 Liberty Lane West
                  Hampton, New Hampshire  03482      
             (Name and address of agent for service)

          The Commission is requested to mail copies of 
            all orders, notices and communications to:

                      William S. Lamb, Esq.
              LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, L.L.P.
                       125 West 55th Street
                  New York, New York  10019-5389


          Unitil Corporation hereby amends its
Application/Declaration on Form U-1 (File No. 70-8969) for the
purpose of amending Item 6 thereto as set forth below.  In all
other respects, the Application/Declaration as previously filed
will remain the same.

Item 6.   EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
     a.   Exhibits
     C-1  Draft Registrations Statement on Form S-3 (previously
filed)
     F-1  Opinion of Counsel
     G-1  Form of Public Notice (previously filed)
     b.   Financial Statements

     1.   Consolidated Condensed Statement of Earnings - Three
          and Nine Months Ended September 30, 1996 (previously
          filed)

     2.   Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet - September 30,
1996 (previously filed)

     3.   Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - Nine Months
          Ended September 30, 1996 (previously filed)

     4.   Notes to Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements
(previously filed)



                            SIGNATURE 

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Public Utility
Holding Company Act of 1935, the undersigned companies have duly
caused this Pre-Effective Amendment to the Application to be
signed on their behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly
authorized.

                              Unitil Corporation

                              By:  /s/ Gail A. Siart             
                                   Gail A. Siart
                                   Secretary and Treasurer
                                     Unitil Corporation 
                                   Vice President and Treasurer
                                     Unitil Resources, Inc.
                                   Senior Vice President 
                                     Unitil Service Corp.

Date:  February 3, 1997


                        LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, L.L.P.
                                 260 Franklin Street
                                  Boston, MA  02110



                                                  February 3, 1997



          Securities and Exchange Commission
          450 Fifth Street, N.W.
          Washington, DC  20549

          Gentlemen:

                    This opinion is furnished to the Securities and
          Exchange Commission (the "Commission") in connection with the
          filing with the Commission of the Application/Declaration on
          Form U-1 (File 70-8969) of Unitil Corporation (the "Company")
          under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 (the
          "Application").  The Application seeks the Commission's
          authorization to issue up to an additional 100,000 shares of
          common stock, no par value of the Company ("Common Stock") under
          its Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan (the "DRIP").

                    We have acted as counsel for the Company and in
          connection with this opinion we have examined originals or copies
          certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction of:

                    (1)  The charter documents and by-laws of the Company,
               as amended to date; 

                    (2)  Minutes of meetings of the Company's shareholders
               and directors, as kept in its minute books; 

                    (3)  The Commission's orders dated October 6, 1992
               (HCAR No. 25648) relating to the impact on shares issued
               under the DRIP of the Company's two-for-one common stock
               split and November 16, 1992 (HCAR No. 25677) authorizing the
               issuance of 76,827 shares of Common Stock under the DRIP;
               and 

                    (4)  The documents and agreements pertaining to the
               DRIP described in the Application and such other
               certificates, documents and papers as we deemed necessary or
               appropriate for the purpose of rendering this opinion.

                    In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of
          all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us
          as originals and the conformity to the original documents of all
          documents submitted to us as copies.  As to any facts material to
          our opinion, we have, when relevant facts were not independently
          established, relied upon the aforesaid agreements, instruments,
          certificates and documents.  In addition, we have examined such
          questions of law as we considered necessary or appropriate for
          the purpose of rendering this opinion.

                    Based on the foregoing, and subject to the final
          paragraph hereof, we are of the opinion that when the Commission
          has taken the action requested in the Application:

               (1)  All state laws applicable to the transactions described
                    in the Application have been complied with;

               (2)  The Company is validly organized and duly existing;

               (3)  When issued as described in the Amendment, the shares
                    of Common Stock owed and/or sold by the Company under
                    the DRIP, will be valid and binding obligations of the
                    Company, in accordance with its terms, subject to laws
                    of general application with respect to rights and
                    remedies of creditors and subject to equitable
                    principles; and

               (4)  The consummation of the transactions described in the
                    Application will not violate the legal rights of the
                    holders of any securities issued by the Company.

                    We hereby consent to the use of this opinion as an
          exhibit to the Application.

                    We are not, in this opinion, opining on laws other than
          the laws of the State of New Hampshire and the federal laws of
          the United States.


                                        Very truly yours,

                                        /s/ LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & 
                                        MacRae, L.L.P.