Save Our Steeple (SOS)
Campaign
The SOS campaign has been created to raise funds for our Steeple Preservation Project. All donations are tax-deductible per IRS regulations.
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The first $20,000 in donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar!
By the Numbers
Project Costs
$70,000 -- Target to cover project costs, including permitting and
planning for contingencies
Fundraising Targets
$20,000 – Vermont Historic Preservation Grant (reimbursement
made at the end of the project)
$50,000 – Fundraising Goal
$20,000 – Matching Grants Already Pledged!
$30,000 – SOS Campaign
$20,000 – Matched Donations
$10,000 – Additional SOS Fundraising
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As of December 1, 2023, we have received over 77% of our goal!
Thank you for your generosity!
To Make a Donation
By Credit Card, PayPal or Venmo
Click here to make a donation by credit Card, PayPal, or Venmo
By Check
Make your tax-deductible donation payable to the United Church of Colchester (add "Steeple" to the Memo line) and mail to:
The United Church of Colchester
% The SOS Campaign
900 Main Street
Colchester, Vermont 05466
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Please indicate in a cover letter if you wish to make your donation in Memory or Honor of someone!
The Steeple Preservation Project
This preservation project includes three subprojects
*Foundation work in the basement: including shoring up the gable seal that supports the Sanctuary, balcony and steeple.
*Structural work in the cupola: including replacement and repair of major timber structures that support the belfry and spire and replacing the staircase that accesses the belfry.
*Restoration of the belfry (where the bell lives): including repairing and repainting the louvers, the belfry trim and flooring, the tower skirt and deck, and the belfry roof.
History and Architectural Significance
History
We do not think it is an exaggeration to note that the Brick Church on the Town Green is the chief landmark of old Colchester Village. It is certainly one of the oldest landmarks in Colchester, lying at the heart of the old village center, sharing a parking lot with the Colchester town library and the Colchester Meeting House (the Old White Church). The historic village cemetery lies behind the Brick Church and parking lot.
The “Brick Church” was built on Colchester Green in 1838. It was constructed to be a place of worship and meeting for the Colchester congregations of the Congregational and Baptist Churches and as a Meeting House for the town. In 1861, the Baptists built their own Sanctuary (the “White Church”) and Parsonage across the Green. In 1920, the Baptist and Congregational congregations reunited, creating the United Church of Colchester. The united congregation eventually chose to use only the Brick Church and Parish Hall.
Architectural Significance
The Sanctuary is a prime example of a Romanesque-Georgian New England Congregational church, with its tall steeple and bell tower, tall windows, and red brick, as well as its interior features, including a classic white rectangular interior with balcony and box pews.
Vermont Historic Preservation Grant
In late 2022, the United Church of Colchester was awarded a $20,000 Vermont Historic Preservation Grant (VHPG) following a competetive application process. We are very grateful for the financial assistance the State of Vermont provides for historical preservation projects.
The Contractor
Vermont Heavy Timber, LLC, owned and operated by Miles Jenness, has been contracted to do our preservation work. Miles recently returned from several months in Paris where he participated in the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral following its tragic fire in 2019.