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First Universalist Church of
West Chesterfield
2011 Holiday Bazaar
The 2011 Holiday Bazaar is just around the
corner. Friends and members of the First
Universalist Church have been donating
materials, talent and time to create new
items for this year's annual fund raiser. Items
for sale include: an exquisite hand
embroidered advent calendar, door draft
catchers, quilted tote bags, and as always
beautifully hand knitted hats, scarves and
mittens. Every item for sale has been
handcrafted by local artisans, members and
friends of the congregation, as well as our
Sunday School children. 100% of the
proceeds will benefit our historic building.
The support and involvement of our community is vital to the preservation of this beautiful landmark. Your generosity is greatly needed and welcomed. Donations of baked goods are very much appreciated and will be accepted at the church beginning at 8:30 a.m.. Finally, if you have any sewing or craft supplies you would like to donate, or have interest in attending a weekly workshop, please contact Betsey Brackett at 603-256-3293. We look forward to seeing you on November 19th!
The support and involvement of our community is vital to the preservation of this beautiful landmark. Your generosity is greatly needed and welcomed. Donations of baked goods are very much appreciated and will be accepted at the church beginning at 8:30 a.m.. Finally, if you have any sewing or craft supplies you would like to donate, or have interest in attending a weekly workshop, please contact Betsey Brackett at 603-256-3293. We look forward to seeing you on November 19th!
Upcoming Events
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Hope is a small coal of fire
that lives in old ashes. It is
the glowing seed of warmth
and light to come.
Kenneth Patton (Unitarian Universalist, minister, poet
Kenneth Patton (Unitarian Universalist, minister, poet
The winter of 2010-2011 was an unusually harsh
one for New England. Unfortunately, the much-
anticipated arrival of spring, warmer weather, and
another church calendar year revealed some
damage to our sturdy 1830 church building.
Upon re-opening the church in April, cracked and
fallen plaster was discovered in the north-east
corner of the church. Peeling paint also appeared to have worsened. A call to the church's insurance provider, ChurchMutal, and a prompt visit from the claims adjuster confirmed the problem ~ ice dams.
Thankfully, ChurchMutal has been very responsive and will cover ninety percent of the cost of scraping, plaster repairs, priming and painting of the entire sanctuary ceiling and eastern interior wall. In July, the congregation approved the expenditure to cover the remaining cost of the damage, as well as scraping and painting the church foyer which has not been freshened up in years. It was decided not to spend the money to completely paint the sanctuary due to current budget constraints. Keene contractor Stebbins Painting was hired after reviewing two other estimates. Work is expected to be completed in early September.
Finally, Melanson Roofing, also of Keene, has inspected that slate roof and will be making minor repairs and replacing tiles in the very near future. Unfortunately, the condition of the roof and sheathing has deteriorated over the years, and we have been advised that a full roof replacement will be needed in the not-too-distant future. Very rough estimates place the cost around $50,000.
As a result, new building construction plans and ongoing building maintenance efforts will have to be re-considered in light of this new information.
one for New England. Unfortunately, the much-
anticipated arrival of spring, warmer weather, and
another church calendar year revealed some
damage to our sturdy 1830 church building.
Upon re-opening the church in April, cracked and
fallen plaster was discovered in the north-east
corner of the church. Peeling paint also appeared to have worsened. A call to the church's insurance provider, ChurchMutal, and a prompt visit from the claims adjuster confirmed the problem ~ ice dams.
Thankfully, ChurchMutal has been very responsive and will cover ninety percent of the cost of scraping, plaster repairs, priming and painting of the entire sanctuary ceiling and eastern interior wall. In July, the congregation approved the expenditure to cover the remaining cost of the damage, as well as scraping and painting the church foyer which has not been freshened up in years. It was decided not to spend the money to completely paint the sanctuary due to current budget constraints. Keene contractor Stebbins Painting was hired after reviewing two other estimates. Work is expected to be completed in early September.
Finally, Melanson Roofing, also of Keene, has inspected that slate roof and will be making minor repairs and replacing tiles in the very near future. Unfortunately, the condition of the roof and sheathing has deteriorated over the years, and we have been advised that a full roof replacement will be needed in the not-too-distant future. Very rough estimates place the cost around $50,000.
As a result, new building construction plans and ongoing building maintenance efforts will have to be re-considered in light of this new information.
Planning for a new Sunday School building has led to an unexpected foray into deed searches, boundary agreements and a bit
of church history.
In preparation for a building permit application, the church hired surveyor David Mann to
create a plan showing the lot lines and the church's location on the parcel. After an extensive
deed search, we learned that the east and west lot lines were largely undefined and needed
to be agreed upon with our neighbors to the east and west. David Mann proposed a lot line to
the west, and with the help of the Ladies Benevolent Society and Rebecca Todd, a boundary
line agreement was created. To the east, what was believed to be the original lot marker was
found, but another lot marker was also found nearby. The marker was possibly moved when
the road was improved.
Either way, the church's deed did not define the measurements of the lot, only a point on the lot line, with no way to know for sure which lot line is correct. With the assistance of the new owner of the property, a compromise is being sought to create another boundary line agreement to define the east lot line. Each deed was researched from every abutting property to follow the path to the church acquiring the land. There is a deed that shows the donation of a parcel of land to the church, but the description of the land given did not encompass the entirety of the church's land. We were stumped.
Most recently, with the help of attorney Sam Bradley and a quick walk to probate court, we found the missing piece - a will granting the remainder of the land to the church! Now we hope to have the boundary agreements signed and filed at the registry of deeds with a new lot plan in the coming months. This will finally clear the path to apply for a zoning review to construct a much-needed new Sunday School building.
In preparation for a building permit application, the church hired surveyor David Mann to
create a plan showing the lot lines and the church's location on the parcel. After an extensive
deed search, we learned that the east and west lot lines were largely undefined and needed
to be agreed upon with our neighbors to the east and west. David Mann proposed a lot line to
the west, and with the help of the Ladies Benevolent Society and Rebecca Todd, a boundary
line agreement was created. To the east, what was believed to be the original lot marker was
found, but another lot marker was also found nearby. The marker was possibly moved when
the road was improved.
Either way, the church's deed did not define the measurements of the lot, only a point on the lot line, with no way to know for sure which lot line is correct. With the assistance of the new owner of the property, a compromise is being sought to create another boundary line agreement to define the east lot line. Each deed was researched from every abutting property to follow the path to the church acquiring the land. There is a deed that shows the donation of a parcel of land to the church, but the description of the land given did not encompass the entirety of the church's land. We were stumped.
Most recently, with the help of attorney Sam Bradley and a quick walk to probate court, we found the missing piece - a will granting the remainder of the land to the church! Now we hope to have the boundary agreements signed and filed at the registry of deeds with a new lot plan in the coming months. This will finally clear the path to apply for a zoning review to construct a much-needed new Sunday School building.
Building Repairs
New Building Update