PARIS — The Paris Hill Eggs were a huge hit this spring! People are thrilled because this fundraising success contributes to preservation efforts on Paris Hill, a neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places. Linda Richardson, the creative energy behind the commemorative eggs, wanted to contribute to a cause so close to her heart – the preservation of the beautiful First Baptist Church, located on the Paris Hill green. The idea was to offer people one of the Paris Hill Eggs for a donation of $10 to Friends of First Baptist Church.

Having done her research, Linda contacted Wells Manufacturing of Buckfield, Maine to see if they could produce the eggs. Together, Linda and Wells produced a fabulous commemorative egg, fashioned in wood, with a dark blue surface and a design painted in white of the First Baptist Church of Paris. The company was able to deliver 200 of the eggs to Linda in early April.

The timing was perfect. Linda announced “the eggs are hatched” and the donations began immediately and continued steadily. People were delighted to see such a beautiful, colorful egg that celebrated the iconic building on the Paris Hill Common. In addition, Jeff Richardson tapped into his own talents in woodworking and created a perfectly crafted, small stand for the eggs to enhance their showing on mantels and desks. After about three weeks, all the eggs were distributed, resulting in a significant donation.

Friends of First Baptist Church of Paris, Maine is a secular, not-for-profit organization.  In August 2020, the Friends group took ownership of the First Baptist Church building on Paris Hill and the surrounding Common. It was an historic conveyance of property. The group’s mission is to preserve the church and green as community spaces protected from sale or development. The organization has a preservation easement and restrictive covenants that will protect this remarkable property in the heart of Paris Hill.

Each year the Friends group must raise every dollar for the annual maintenance, operations, and upkeep of the building and grounds. In the near future, this will include, for example, some challenging work on the steeple, which holds the bell cast in 1821 by Paul Revere’s son, Joseph Warren Revere. The bell is still in perfect working condition and chimes faithfully on the hour every day.

For Friends of First Baptist Church, preservation is the cornerstone for community-building. The group’s work protecting these historic spaces serves hundreds of people from the local area and many hundreds more as they visit Paris Hill for Founders Day (sponsored by the Hannibal Hamlin Memorial Library), Hannibal Hamlin’s Birthday Celebration, splendid concerts, and other events.

The organization is grateful for the contributions of Linda and Jeff Richardson and applauds their creativity, energy, and devotion to their community. Board members agree: “They hit it out of the park on this!”

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