Two of South Berwick’s oldest church communities are preserving history as their congregants repair, remodel and reimagine how they will use buildings in the years ahead. This is the first article in a two-part series on these renovations.
The First Parish Federated Church, home to the town’s oldest congregation, is undergoing major changes for the third time in its 194-year history.
Congregants of the Federated Church in the heart of downtown are lowering and expanding the area where the minister, choir and altar are positioned, bringing them closer to the congregation and allowing for a greater variety of activities.
Members believe the new design will allow for more community uses not typically found in a church, like lectures and concerts, according to Dave Stansfield, co-chair of the sanctuary redecoration committee and a lifetime member of the church.
Increasing the size of the area known as a chancel will create more flexible space, with more room for church activities such pageants and weddings, said Stansfield.
Inviting the public into the building is not new for this congregation. The church hosts monthly turkey suppers to raise money for non-profit groups in town; Alcoholics Anonymous holds meetings in the basement; and two musical groups rehearse there.
Four decades ago, the congregation sponsored a group of Cambodian refugee families fleeing the Khmer Rouge, housing about 40 people in the church’s lower level until they found permanent accommodations in the community and surrounding towns.
When the renovation started in 2021, church members considered varied ideas for a refreshed interior, including new furniture, a center aisle, stained glass window repair and new carpeting. They finally agreed to repair plaster and rework the chancel, setting aside redesign of the back of the sanctuary and other projects for another time.
“Many people hate the carpet and were hoping to replace it but, in spite of it being 50 years old, it hasn’t worn out,” Stansfield noted with a smile.
Len Bogh, who owns Great Northern Builders with his wife, Maya, was “giddy with excitement” to learn he would be hired to rework the front of the sanctuary.
“This is the oldest building I’ve ever worked on, and I really appreciate their game plan,” Bogh said. “This is a beautiful building in a vibrant community. It is a huge space to heat and maintain, why not make it more valuable to the community?”
Both Stansfield and Bogh had fun discovering historic construction techniques. The massive timbers, hand-hewn on three sides, were put in place by the same builder who constructed the First Baptist Church on the other side of Route 236.
The First Parish Federated Church was built on the corner of Main and Academy streets in 1830 by a congregation that originally worshiped at the “First Church of Barwick,” a meeting house on Old Fields Road formally organized in 1702.
Major renovations took place at the church in 1963, when the first level of the education wing was added. Thirty years later, the entire building was jacked up and repositioned, with two more floors added to the educational wing. The new chancel is set for completion in April.
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