Northwood Church Receives
$200,000 LCHIP Grant
By Pamela English
The Northwood Congregational Church building is one of
the best surviving examples of a Greek Revival architecture in
northern New England.
Foundation problems include the need to support existing
boulders and install additional center support columns under the
floor of the sanctuary.
Work on the front porch area will include restora- tion
of the four columns, removal of decayed wood, realignment of the
foundation, drainage and reconstruction of the front steps.
By 2010, members of the Northwood Congregational Church UCC were
becoming concerned about the deterioration of the church’s front
porch and columns. A Sanctuary Preservation Committee was formed
to study the situation and a building preservation firm was
hired. Their structural assessment team found extensive
deterioration in several other areas, including the sills and
framing of the east and west walls, and the central column
supports. The four hollow wooden Doric columns sup- porting the
roof of the portico and the bell tower showed decay, along with
the porch decking, causing the upper attic structure to begin
sagging. Past decay on the porch headers, joists, and sills has
caused the deck to separate and pull away from the main
building. Since the columns rest on the porch surface, replacing
the deck would not possible without removing the columns.
It quickly became apparent that the project called for more than
a volunteer committee. A professional capital campaign
consultant was contracted in 2013 to help with both fundraising
and finding the right construction firms. Because the Church is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places it is
critical to find contractors who will rehabilitate within the
Secretary of the Interior Standards. The capital campaign for
the historic rehabilitation of the sanctuary, under the guidance
of Peggy and Chris Kofer, ran from Jan. 2014 to the first of May
2014, and raised over $270,000. It focused only on church
members and attendees, not the community at large. With that
amount as a match, the Church applied for an LCHIP grant and was
awarded $200,000.