The Fall of 2005 marked the kick-off of a $400,000 Capital Campaign.  Funds raised will be used to make our historic building handicapp accessible and to make other necessary repairs.  Members, friends and other members of the community are being asked to help us accomplish our goal through gifts, pledges, and planned giving opportunities.  Work is also being done to seek out and secure grant opportunities. 

Sunday, September 10th -- a special meeting of the members was held and the borrowing of funds needed to go ahead with replacement of roof and repairs to the tower were approved.  Look for scaffolding to be put up by the end of September.

Funding for the LULA elevator was approved and pending blue prints, permits & final bids, work should begin in January 2007.

This photo is courtesy of Chris Richard of The Fairhaven Navigator

November 2006 - masonry work on the tower has begun and roof repairs are beginning.  Work will continue as long as the weather holds.  What can not be finished before winter sets in will continue in the spring.

January 1, 2007 - tower repairs (including painting approved at a special meeting on December 10th) is virtually completed.  Tower scaffoling will be removed in the next few weeks.

February 1, 2007 - tower repairs are complete and the staging has been removed.  Bids for the elevator have been received and are being negotiated.  Below is a detailed look at some of the tower flashing.... Check out that paint job!

March 26, 2007 - demolition for the elevator shaft has begun.  See photos in construction photos link.

May 14, 2007 - staging is going up on the east side of the sanctuary building to begin work on replacing the sanctuary roof.

June/July 2007 - the entire sanctuary roof has been stripped, covered with a layer of plywood and reshingled with 50 year shingles.

August/September 2007 - the installation of the elevator is nearly complete and the church focuses on finish work, cleaning & painting.

December 2007 - the elevator is complete and inspected.  It was used for the first time at our Christmas Fair on December 8th.  Finish work and painting still needs to be finished.

January 2008 - Groups of volunteers have begun the painting process.  The whole parish house is in need of fresh paint and it will take some time to complete.  But then again.... there's always something to be done.

Our church was first established in 1794 as The Second Church of Christ, New Bedford or "The Meeting House Church."  In 1845 the current "Brick Church" was dedicated.  It is an elegant Gothic type church made of brick and possibly stucco.  The interior is finished in an imitation of black walnut and was originally designed to hold 600 person on the floor and 200 in the balcony.  A three sectioned Gothic screen of fine woodcarving on the rear balcony matches the decor at the front of the church.

The main sanctuary building, which is still in its original location, was built by renowned architect, Menard LeFever, mostly  well-known and respected for his book The Modern Builder's Guide. 

The 100 foot original steeple was used as a navigational guide for the whaling captains of the day.  Four 20 foot pinnacles surrounded the original steeple.  In 1869 the beautiful spire was blown down in a gale.  The pinnacles suffered a similar fate at other times and were ultimately taken down in 1918.