“How much does this treasured landmark really mean to the town?” was the question posed in the March 30 Lincoln County News editorial. The year was 1978, and the landmark in question was Damariscotta’s First Baptist Church Clock Tower and Steeple.
The question is even more relevant today, as, for the second summer in a row, visitors turning off U.S. Rt. 1 into downtown Damariscotta and the peninsulas beyond won’t see the welcoming beacon that once greeted their arrival.
The good news is visitors will soon see the steeple again. However, it won’t be atop the church any time soon.
To date, the Landmark Steeple and Clock Restoration Trustees have raised $332,000 for spire, clock and bell tower restoration, but $117,000 is still needed before the belfry and steeple can return to their final destination, and before the clock chimes again.
In the meantime, Aaron Sturgis of Preservation Timber Framing is scheduled to deliver the restored spire and belfry this month, but in two separate pieces that will remain on the ground until the remaining funds can be raised.
Restoration Committee Chair Walter Hilton hopes that once people see the two sections waiting to be assembled, donations for the final leg of the project will pour in, but he’s concerned.
“It’s tough to raise money in this climate,” he said. “We’re competing with a lot of other good causes.”
Still Hilton is hopeful, pointing out the unique place the steeple enjoys in the town’s consciousness. “The steeple is really the focal point of the town, it’s the first thing you see,” he said. “It’s an integral part of the town. A lot of people would like to see it go back up”.
Damariscotta Town Manager Greg Zinser agrees, and says the Board of Selectmen “recognize that the clock tower is an important part of the community.” The warrant for the June 10 annual town meeting includes an article that would designate $20,000 over four years to reassembling the clock tower, which is the one section owned by the town.
Zinser adds that he hopes the project doesn’t take that long, and that he’s heard people saying, “wouldn’t it be great if we could get it back up.”
“Hopefully we can raise the money needed,” he said. “It would be a shame to stop now.”
Restoration Trustee Mary Trescott said that, as a young girl, she could see the steeple from her bedroom window. Even though the clock hasn’t been operational for several years, she still looks up to check the time as she drives by on her way home from work.
“It’s so much a part of who we are,” she said. Trescott’s grandfather, George Jones, a clock-maker from Damariscotta Mills, wound the church clock for 40 years. “We’re really proud of that, that he was a part of that history,” she said.
Donations to the restoration may be sent to: Landmark Steeple Fund, c/o Mitchell Wellman, The First National Bank, P.O. Box 940, Damariscotta, 04543.
