NORWAY — Restoration of the historic 1828 belfry on the First Universalist Church in downtown Norway is getting underway.

Joan Beal, chairwoman of the Save the Belfry Committee, said the Berwick-based Preservation Timber Framing Inc., which specializes in historic timber framing projects, is the contractor.

“Two hundred years of continuous use have taken a toll and the steeple and tower have begun to deteriorate,” Beal said in a recent statement.

Along with the iconic Norway Opera House, the church at 45 Main St. is considered one of the major focal points of the Norway Historic District that was designated in July 1988. It is roughly bounded by Pearl Street, Danforth Street and Greenleaf Avenue, Pennesseewassee Stream, and Main and Whitman streets.

The district was designated by the National Park Service for its largely intact architectural design of Italianate, Romanesque and Queen Anne buildings. The church was one of the few buildings that survived a 1894 fire that destroyed many  downtown buildings.

The church was constructed in 1829 and remodeled in 1865, according to Earl Shuttleworh to the National Register of Historic Places.

According to the church history, in 1901 a new bell was donated and in 1913 a rounded bell tower and weather vane replaced the spire.

In 2010, the church received a grant from the Maine Steeples Project of the Maine Community Foundation to assess the condition of the belfry. The Maine Steeples Fund supports local efforts to restore church steeples of historic, cultural and community significance.

The program will match funds raised locally to both assess and restore steeples. The Maine Steeples Fund is a collaborative effort of Maine Preservation, the Maine Community Foundation and a donor-advised fund at the foundation

Arron Sturgis of Preservation Timber Framing Inc., told the congregation Jan. 6 that the church has some of the best framing he has seen in New England.

While the work will be planned and overseen by Preservation Timber Framing, local people will do much of the work.

The Save the Belfry Committee, which includes members of the church and the community, has received some grant money and is applying for historic preservation grants.

The restoration will be conducted in phases and is expected to take several years.

ldixon@sunmediagroup.net

In 1901 a new bell was donated and in 1913 a rounded bell tower and weather vane replaced the spire of the First Universalist Church on Main Street in Norway.

Arron Sturgis of Preservation Timber Framing, speaking with Joan Beal, met recently with members of First Universalist Church in Norway to discuss the restoration of the church belfry.