We work on a lot of buildings with small congregations. We’ve rebuilt churches with fewer than ten active members, and nary a millionaire among them. Most building committees rely on a combination of grants and community contributions to reach their fundraising goals. How does a tiny community raise the admittedly significant capital to restore a steeple when many congregants have long-deferred repair plans at their own homes? The answer lies somewhere in re-establishing the centrality of these places within their communities, to the secular and devout alike. It’s easy to appreciate the solemn presence of a spare steeple amongst the foliage of a sleepy Maine village; it’s harder to imagine how to transform that appreciation into funds to pay for its preservation.

We’ve been so busy over the past year that we’ve neglected to shed light on the impressive fundraising efforts put forward by our clients to support their projects. Below are links to better coverage than ours.

East Derry Belfry, rigged and ready

First Parish Church in East Derry has come a long way; they’ve rebuilt their entire foundation and undercarriage and a multi-stage clock tower more than 100′ tall. On November 2, their Story of the Steeple dinner raised about half the funds needed to restore the clockworks. The Union Leader covered the event, here. Elsewhere on the internets, Judy Hayward interviewed Arron about the project and our process. Her extensive quoting of my blog post on the subject reminded me that I need to do a better job copy-editing, sheesh.

The last bell to leave the Revere Foundry leaves its perch. Photo by Scott Lewis

Benton Falls church will hit 200 in the coming decade. Last year, its steeple was removed in their first step towards preserving it and restoring it to its perch. Since then, eave sills and cornice have been replaced. In October, the 42-member congregation hosted a Harvest Fest to raise funds and build community support for the project. The Morning Sentinel covered the event, here.

Assessing Bell Hill, prior to repairs

Back in July, Bell Hill Meeting House held their 100th annual summer service, following the restoration of that church’s copper dome. In 2020, Bell Hill will embark upon the next phase of their restoration, repairing the truss that supports the rear wall of the steeple. Get at ’em.

In September, the West Auburn belfry was restored to its former perch almost exactly a year after it had been removed. The restoration was funded by Maine Steeples Fund in conjunction with harvest suppers and grassroots fundraising.

Norway UU Crew

We are inspired by the perseverance of our partners in preservation. These multi-year projects require a few individuals to be dedicated to a cause that benefits many. The impact of their efforts is both small and large, concrete and indefinite. It doesn’t take a religious calling to preserve a religious building, but it does take a leap of faith.