First Congregational Church seeks CPC help for multiple preservation items after NPT review

Representatives of First Congregational Church told the Community Preservation Committee that their current application follows a periodic review by the Nantucket Preservation Trust and requests assistance to address a list of preservation needs across church buildings.

Presenters said the church functions as a community center hosting many organizations and events and emphasized the building’s historic value as part of the town’s built fabric. Phil Reed and Peter (last name not specified in the record) and other church volunteers described about a dozen to nearly 20 smaller items identified in a recent NPT walk-through; the church said it has addressed some items already and is asking CPC help for the remaining work.

Applicants highlighted three categories of work: window restoration in the tower, painting and exterior repairs on the summer church, and a set of interior and maintenance tasks identified in the NPT assessment. The church asked the committee to note that it recently invested roughly $750,000 of its own funds in a stormwater-management system that encircles the building and that it also maintains a donor-restricted maintenance fund.

Committee members requested detailed cost estimates and contractor quotes; the applicants agreed to provide an itemized cost estimate and stated they would send the requested cost details to staff for distribution in advance of deliberations. Several committee members also noted the requirement to treat CPC funding for churches as preservation of historic structures, not funding for religious programming, and discussed the legal framework the CPC follows to avoid funding religious worship activity.

No final CPC vote on the First Congregational Church application was recorded at the Sept. 30 session.