Save Our Steeple Plus (SOS+)
Campaign
Join us in preserving the Historic Brick Church in Colchester, Vermont!
The original Save Our Steeple (SOS) Campaign was created to raise $70,000 to fund the United Church of Colchester's Steeple Preservation Project. Because of the generosity of the Vermont Historic Preservation Trust's $20,000 matching grant, two $10,000 matching grants from individuals associated with the UCofC, $18, 911 of direct cash donations, and $2,425 raised through this Pledge website, to date (7/28/24) we have raised $61,336 of the $70,00 target.
​
THANK YOU!
​
All of the $61,336 raised or pledged to date will be used to fund the Steeple Preservation Project, and we are forever grateful!
Save Our Steeple PLUS
Because of the success of our early fundraising, On July 14, 2024, the congregation of the United Church of Colchester voted to extend the SOS Campaign by $15,000 to include three other building and grounds preservation projects:
-
build new steps (with handrails) to provide safe entry to the front doors of the Brick Church while preserving the historic rock porch,
-
replace the unsafe steps to the front door of the Parish House,
-
repair the unsafe sidewalk leading to the front doors of the Brick Church and Parish Hall from the driveway and parking lot.
With that vote, the Save Our Steeple Plus (SOS+) Campaign was born. The $61,336 already raised, plus the next $8,664 we collect, will fund the Steeple Preservation Project to completion. Any other funds collected will go to fund the additional building and grounds preservation projects described above.
Remember, all donations are tax-deductible per IRS regulations.
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
​
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.