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


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Declaration of UNITIL         )       CERTIFICATE PURSUANT TO
Corporation on Form U-1       )       RULE 24 UNDER THE PUBLIC
(File No. 70-9047)            )       UTILITY HOLDING COMPANY ACT
                              )       OF 1935
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     Pursuant to the  requirements  of Rule 24 under the Public Utility  Holding
Company Act of 1935, UNITIL  Corporation  ("UNITIL")  hereby  certifies,  by the
undersigned officer hereunto duly authorized, that the proposed guarantee of the
obligations  of  UNITIL  Realty  Corporation  under  a note  and  note  purchase
agreement, as proposed in UNITIL's application-declaration to the Securities and
Exchange  Commission  (the  "Commission")  on Form U-1  (File No.  70-9047)  and
authorized by order of the  Commission  in Public  Utility  Holding  Company Act
Release No. 35-26739; 70-9047, dated July 3, 1997 (the "Order") has been carried
out in  accordance  with  the  terms  and  conditions  of and for  the  purposes
represented by the  application-declaration  and of the Commission's  Order with
respect thereto.

Exhibits
                  F-2               "Past Tense" Opinion of Counsel


				SIGNATURE  

     Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Public  Utility  Holding
Company Act of 1935, the undersigned company has duly caused this Certificate to
be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                                           UNITIL Corporation


                                           By:     /s/ Gail A. Siart
                                              Gail A. Siart
                                              Secretary and Treasurer



Dated:   August 5, 1997

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





                                              August 4, 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
Declaration on Form U-1 (File  70-9047) of Unitil  Corporation  (the  "Company")
under the Public Utility  Holding  Company Act of 1935. The  Declaration  sought
approval for the guarantee by the Company of the  obligations of its subsidiary,
Unitil Realty Corp., under a note and note purchase agreement.

     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 their respective minute books;

                  (3) The documents and  agreements  pertaining to the guarantee
         described in the Declaration 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:

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

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

         (3)      The guarantee by the Company is a valid and binding obligation
                  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 guarantee described in the Declaration
                  has not  violated  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
Declaration.

     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,



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