FARMINGTON – Selectmen voted unanimously to administer a federal community development block grant on behalf of the Farmington Historical Society Tuesday night.

Administering the grant won’t cost the town a dime, Town Manager Richard Davis said Wednesday.

The federal grant program requires entities to prove community support before the grants are awarded, and so requires that municipalities administer the money.

The Historical Society is applying for $100,000 in grant money to put toward the first phase in renovations planned for High Street’s Old North Church.

The building was built in the 1870s and is on the national register of historic places.

It was purchased by the Historical Society in the 1970s and used until 2000, when it suffered bad water damage. Since then, society members have been trying to raise the money to not only repair it, but turn it into the Farmington History Museum, society Vice President Taffy Davis said Wednesday.

The entire project, including turning the church into a museum, will cost nearly $440,000, Davis said.

Phase 1 deals with fixing the foundation, adding a heating system, repairing damaged flooring, and doing electrical and plumbing work. That alone will cost around $200,000, she said.

The society is applying for the CDBG grant under the historic preservation subcategory, and is required to provide a 25 percent match – in this case $25,000 – to get the money.

Members have raised $55,000, Davis said.

“Phase 1 (costs) $200,000, so in order for them to fund us we really should have the monies to complete Phase 1,” she said. “We’re hoping for some potential major donors.”

The application might not be seriously considered if enough money hasn’t been raised, she said.

Before voting to administer the grant, if it’s awarded, selectmen held a public hearing on the matter. The handful of voters present signified their support for the project.

“People were very supportive,” Taffy Davis said.

Donations can be sent to the Farmington Historical Society, care of Taffy Davis, 239 Titcomb Hill Road, Farmington. People can call Davis at 778.4275.