Voters in Buckfield will be asked at the June town meeting whether to sell or least the Old Church on the Hill at 77 High St. with conditions that the building receive extensive repairs. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

BUCKFIELD — Voters will be asked to approve the potential sale or lease of the Old Church on the Hill when they go to the polls June 10 for the annual town meeting.

The last article on the warrant asks if voters will allow the Select Board to sell or lease the property “to an individual, nonprofit organization or other group under the conditions that the building will be substantially stabilized and repaired and the exterior appearance of the building will remain similar to its original design.”

The wording “similar to its original design” would allow an individual, for example, to add a fire exit if it is spelled out in the lease or purchase agreement, Town Manager Cameron Hinkley said.

“The goal isn’t to dispose of this property as quickly as possible,” Selectman Sandra Fickett said. “The goal is to see what the opportunities are for the Old Church on the Hill, and the intent is to involve the community in whatever degree they want to be involved. We’d like to see the Old Church on the Hill standing for a long time to come.”

The Old Church on the Hill at 77 High St. in Buckfield is in need of extensive repairs. Voters in June will be asked at the town meeting whether to sell or least the building on conditions that it be stabilized and renovated. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

The church, which was originally known as the Union Church and sometimes Union Chapel, was built as a Universalist church between 1831 and 1832. Located at 77 High St., it was built with the cooperation of other denominations, which shared services.

Featured prominently on the town’s seal, the building was included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

According to the application, the church “is an outstandingly handsome and well-proportioned example of a late Federal meetinghouse with transitional Gothic features. The 91-foot spire is regarded as a model of proportion and grace.”

The town took ownership of the building around 1900. Since then, the structure has been used for town meeting space and even hosted basketball games in the 1950s. In recent years, the building has hosted concerts, weddings and public gatherings.

The building has been largely vacant since the pandemic, with the town paying for electricity and insurance costs. In need of restoration work, the town uses the structure for storage.

In a note below the article on the warrant, the church requires substantial structural and cosmetic renovations. A formal study conducted in 2020 said repairs to the steeple and roof would cost $635,000. A second opinion issued in 2022 said that with enough volunteers, repairs could be done for $25,000.

“The town has been unable to find volunteers to fundraise, coordinate additional opinions or make repairs,” the note below the article reads. “The building continues to deteriorate and requires significant attention.”

Voters in Buckfield will be asked at the June town meeting whether to sell or least the Old Church on the Hill at 77 High St. with conditions that the building receive extensive repairs. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal