CAMDEN — The industrious activity around  the First Congregational Church, UCC, of Camden at 55 Elm Street, represents the beginning of the Church's project to restore the exterior of its steeple and spire, which have started to show exterior damage from the elements.

The work requires intricate staging to reach the steeple and spire, and it will be done by Taylor-Made Builders, Inc.  They redid the steeple at the Chestnut Street Baptist Church, also in Camden, several years ago. 

That project required that the spire be removed and replaced with a new fiberglass compound, according to a news release from the church.

As the interior structure of the First Congregational Church steeple is in good shape and is structurally sound, the extent of the job will be to resheath the exterior steeple and spire with composite materials in the exact same configuration of its present structure.

The Church has had a long and active history as a part of the Camden Community since its official establishment in 1805 as a Congregational Church (now United Church of Christ). 

Its congregants met originally in the 1799 Meeting House (now gone) on the northeast side of Park and ElmsStreets.  The Church relocated to its present location in 1832 and built what is currently the sanctuary between 1832-1834.  This early Church had a bell tower, and the large bell which still rings in the present steeple was purchased for that bell tower in 1835. 

The Church was extensively modified around the original sanctuary in 1870-1872 at which time the steeple and spire were constructed.  One hundred forty nine years later, the interior of the structure remains untouched and is structurally sound. 

The exterior of the steeple and spire was resheathed only once in 1949, 77 years after it was built –and now 72 years after that, it needs to be resheathed again. 

This time its restoration will be done with composite material to protect against the ravages of weather to make it last well into the future. The cost of the work will be around $330,000.  The Church is raising funds to pay in part for its revitalization from its congregation and from the community.

 The steeple presently houses Verizon transmission equipment which was just shut down for the three-month construction period by Verizon, having installed on the premises a temporary facility so that service can continue during that time.  Verizon provides some income to the Church annually for housing its equipment, which funds have been used to enhance  the Church's mission work.  Restoration and protection of the steeple is therefore important on many levels.

A Church Steeple Preservation Committee has been formed to oversee the construction and fund-raising activities, and they have made a short 12-minute film entitled “A Steeple Story” with the help of local filmmaker Dale Schierholt which takes you for an interior and exterior walk around the steeple while telling how an iconic New England steeple was constructed. 

It is available on the Church's website and Facebook pages along with other information about the project.