Our building restoration has begun! I’m pleased to report that because of our grant award from Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), we were able to begin some much needed work on the steeple.
It was completed in mid-March by our steeple jack man Chris Burgess, of The Burgess Company, based in Orleans. (Chris worked on our steeple back in 1999 when he refurbished the weathervane and installed 4 new clocks in the base of the tower.) The front louvres on the steeple were totally damaged and had been removed. The opening was boarded up to prevent the birds from entering the tower and to keep out the weather elements. It was an eyesore for all passers-by coming through the Bridgewater common.
With the generosity of the DAR, we were able to replace the louvres on all four sides of the steeple! We wish to express our true appreciation to DAR for their generosity to Central Square Congregational Church.
This is just the beginning of restoring the steeple. We are still waiting for the Town of Bridgewater CPC grant money to be released to us as soon as the deed restriction is in place. My estimate is this Fall (2022). Hiring a historical preservationist to obtain the deed restriction is a multi-step process and time consuming, but we continue to push all of the parties that play a role so that our project can keep moving forward.
Thank you,
Barbara I. Morey
HCBC Chairperson
PS -- we are still a long way from being able to realize our hopes that we can save our building from its somewhat sad state of repair. If you know of any funds or grants available, or would like to contribute, please let us know. You can use the donate button at the top of this page, and click on the "Historic renovation" donation line item. Thank you!
