FARMINGTON – A brick sale to support completion of the exterior of the Fairbanks School is progressing slowly, said Patty Jacobs on Monday.

The Fairbanks School Neighborhood Association began selling bricks for $5 last month and has sold 179 to date, she said. More sales are needed to reach the group’s goal to raise close to $7,000, she added.

Buyers can either honor someone or purchase a brick as a memorial, but there can only be one name per brick. More than one brick can be purchased by the buyer. Names will be placed on a plaque and displayed in the lobby of the rebuilt school.

The school, completed in 1898, burned 100 years later. Since then, the association has held numerous fundraisers to construct a new meeting house at the site. The new building is being built to resemble the original style. They plan to open it this spring.

“It’s been a long (10 year) struggle. We didn’t know we’d have to do certain things at the time we thought about the original cost,” she said, things like paving the parking lot for handicap accessibility.

Bricks can be purchased for anyone.

Jacobs said she was concerned that people may have intended to purchase bricks but neglected to follow through, and wanted to remind them that the bricks remain available.

To purchase a brick send a check made out to FSNA to Mary O’Donal at 201 Barlen St., Farmington, ME 04938. Include the name of one person to be honored or remembered for each brick purchased, she said.

The association has also planned a silent auction for March 15 at Fairbanks Union Church. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., shoppers may browse items and write down an amount they would be willing to pay for them. The silent auction will feature everything from antiques and collectibles to new items and books.

For more information, call Jacobs at 778-4272 or Dory Dickman at 778-0517.