The weathered clock tower of the First Baptist Church is in need of repairs with the church congregation and pastor looking to raise the funds needed to repair the historic building. Paul Bagnall / The Times Record
Bath’s First Baptist Church is raising funds to repair a clock tower that has looked over the city since the 1850s.
The cost of repairs for the tower looming over 851 Washington St. are estimated at $100,000. First Baptist Church Pastor Andy Crone said the tower is part of Bath’s history and is featured on the city’s historical walking tour.
Crone said the exterior has suffered extensive damage over time, and loose wood and shingles must be replaced. Last year, Crone and a few other volunteers painted the building’s exterior trim.
“We were contacted by the insurance company that the bell tower needed to be repaired,” Crone said.
The insurance company did the estimate a couple of months ago, with a drone flying up to the clock tower to survey what repairs were needed and a complete walkthrough of the church’s tower. Sara Bogue, a church member, said the cost of repairing the clock tower is close to the church’s entire annual budget.
The upcoming December craft and bake sale will get the ball rolling while the church waits to hear whether it has been awarded any grants it has applied for, including one through the Maine Steeple Project.
The church has applied for four or five grants so far.
Crone commutes about an hour and a half from his home in Milton, New Hampshire, to serve as pastor of the First Baptist Church three to four days per week. He is a retired police officer whose work in children’s ministry led him to Bath. He has been serving as pastor for about two years.
“This church had nine people here, and they didn’t know if they were going to shut the doors,” Crone said.
The city has owned the First Baptist Church tower clock since 1855. The church was built in 1852 to replace the Baptist Religious Society church built on the corner of Elm and Washington streets in 1816. In 1855, a new town clock was placed in the bell tower when the previous clock was lost in a fire.
The mechanism for the clock in the First Baptist Church bell tower has been operating in the community since the 1850s. Paul Bagnall / The Times Record
The craft and bake sale is from 4-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14. The church has already received handmade donations like birdhouses and feeders, Christmas decorations, and knitted mittens, with one person donating 50 pairs of mittens.
Before the December fundraiser, the First Baptist Church is looking into getting baked goods from individuals and businesses around the Bath community. On Saturday, a GoFundMe page went live for the First Baptist Church, intending to raise $50,000.
The church also serves as a meal and warming center during the winter in case of power outages from winter storms. Meals are served every Friday in the church’s basement. Nine to 10 turkeys will be cooked for the free Thanksgiving meal at the First Baptist Church, and close to 150 meals were served last year.