NEW OWNER, NEW PURPOSE FOR THE LOWER WATERFORD CHURCH BUILDING

The Waterford Preservation Trust (WPT) and the Lower Waterford Congregational Church (LWCC) are excited to announce that the church building will soon have a new owner and a new purpose. The WPT and congregation leaders have been working with local Waterford resident Josh Oakley to ensure the building has a capable and passionate steward to restore the building and ensure it continues to serve the Waterford community.

Josh has extensive experience in design and construction of historic buildings for adaptive reuse. We are excited for him to put this experience into practice and turn the building into an asset for Lower Waterford again. As part of the agreement, he is committed to continuing the goals of the WPT including maintaining the key historic traits of the building.

Prior to the sale, the church and WPT are completing work to keep the building in compliance with local codes and prevent further deterioration including electrical upgrades, new shingles, tin ceiling repair, and steeple restoration. We are committed to using the resources we’ve raised to date to complete these projects before the change in ownership occurs.

After the sale is complete, Josh plans to continue the work starting with new heating and HVAC for the winter and repair and upgrades to the existing plaster walls and insulation. “My first priority is preservation of the building including updating the core and shell of the building against the elements like winter weather. Then, we can begin the adaptive reuse with programming that changes and expands the use the building as a key contributor to Lower Waterford” says Josh.

While he has a few ideas for programming including a local artist-in-residence program, it remains to be seen what the building codes will allow. “The limited parking and lack of a septic system are the driving constraints on how we can use the site, but we have multiple creative options in mind. It will come down to the capacity we can create within the current footprint.”

The mission of the Waterford Preservation Trust has been to facilitate the restoration, preservation, and adaptive reuse of the church building. While this fortuitous step sets us in a direction to accomplish our mission, there is still work to do. Josh has asked the WPT to partner with him after the change in ownership occurs to support his vision for the building. This might include fund raising, program oversight, community relations, etc.

We will update the community as progress continues. Meanwhile, we are both proud and happy to announce that this iconic and historic building will be cared for into Waterford’s future.

Signed

Waterford Preservation Trust

Lower Waterford Congregational Church