A report the Landmark Steeple Trust Fund committee had secured the final $45,000 necessary to complete the restoration effort on the steeple of the First Baptist Church of Damariscotta this summer have turned out to be premature.
The chief fundraiser for the steeple restoration project, Bob Cain announced earlier this week the committee had secured the last bit of funding needed to remount the local landmark on top of the church on Damariscotta’s Main St.
However, according to committee chairman, Walter Hilton, a miscommunication prompted a premature announcement.
“Somebody said they would guarantee the $45,000,” Hilton said. “We took that as a donation and in fact, it’s a loan. We would have to pay it back.”
Hilton said the committee has not made a decision on the loan offer but there are several concerns. Putting the steeple up now could complicate further fundraising efforts. If people see the steeple in place, it may diminish the impetuous to make a donation to pay off the loan.
Against this background, the window for putting the steeple up this summer is closing fast, Hilton said.
“We have $4000 left in the bank,” Hilton said. “I understand we have some checks coming in. If we don’t put it up next week we are going to have to wait a year and that will cost another $30,000 to restart the process because they are going to have to bring in the staging and equipment and put it up all over again.”
Currently the completed work on restoring the spire and bell tower is available for public at the church at the intersection of Main Street and Bristol Road. The work that remains to be done is to put the clock faces on the new clock tower, replace the old clock tower with the new one and then to place the bell tower, spire and weathervane atop the clock tower at which point the town clock will be installed.
Donations to the cause may be sent to the Landmark Steeple & Clock Restoration Fund, c/o Mitchell Wellman at The First, NA, P.O. Box 940, Damariscotta, 04543.
