BUCKFIELD — Voters in Buckfield agreed last year to let town officials lease or sell the Old Church on the Hill under one condition: The town‑owned building would be repaired and its exterior kept historically accurate.
The church at 77 High St. is in serious disrepair, but town officials have not discussed tearing it down, Town Manager Cameron Hinkley said.
Built in 1832, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, making it eligible for grant funding or historic rehabilitation tax credits. But Hinkley said the town is in no position to pay for any renovation.
After voters approved a sale or lease at last year’s annual town meeting, Maine Preservation contacted Hinkley and offered to help draft a request for proposals, or RFP, for the work.
The nonprofit historic preservation group has since partnered with the town to look for an individual, a corporation or another nonprofit to renovate what is widely believed to be one of Buckfield’s oldest buildings.
Hinkley said several residents would like to see the space renovated and returned to use by the town, but he is not sure that is practical given the significant investment a buyer would have to make.
There are several obstacles for a potential buyer, he said, including limited parking and minimal access to electricity. The town stabilized the bell tower after it was hit by lightning in 1985, and other small renovation projects have been done over the years, but the building is no longer safe and needs structural repair — such as stabilizing the steeple — as much as cosmetic work like replacing broken windows and repainting inside and out.
Even so, Hinkley said he is optimistic the church’s transitional Gothic Revival features will draw interest.
Instead of an RFP, the town and Maine Preservation sent out a request for interest, or RFI, in mid‑August seeking responses from experienced architects, community stakeholders, developers and others interested in taking on the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the church, which was first called the Union Chapel and later known as the Buckfield Union Church.
The purpose of the RFI is to identify inventive concepts and land use opportunities that can guide the rehabilitation process, grounded in market realities and community input.
The town invited people to submit ideas for preserving the building, specifying that any concept must serve community interests and support the local economy.
The request outlines three guiding principles: to save the church by preserving its historic fabric and legacy; to support the community’s needs and desires for possible uses; and to demonstrate the organizational and financial capacity needed to sustain the building.
Hinkley said the town has not placed restrictions on a buyer or leaseholder beyond preserving the building’s exterior, and that officials would be open to many possible uses, including a sale to a private owner who might convert the space into a unique home.
The building, which the town purchased for $75 and used as a Town Office for a time in the early 1900s, is featured on the town seal and has served a variety of public purposes over the years, including high school classes, graduations, town meetings, music festivals, holiday celebrations, weddings and worship.
In 1970, the town created a steering committee to oversee stewardship of the church, resulting in comprehensive repairs to the building.
Membership waned over the years, and there is now only one member of the Old Church on the Hill Committee, Hinkley said.
According to the RFI, declining interest in the building and tight municipal budgets have led to deferred maintenance of the Federal‑style meeting house.
The building’s architecture is thought to be inspired by the Universalist Church in Livermore and the Universalist Church in Norway, with a large open sanctuary and balcony. The pews that once ran down the center of the sanctuary are gone, but rows of pews still line the left and right sides.
The RFI notes significant wood rot and paint loss in the belfry and spire, damage that will require extensive repair.
The bell in the 91‑foot steeple, which must be rung by hand, was purchased in the mid‑1800s from a Spanish mission on the Texas Gulf Coast by Buckfield native John D. Long, who went on to serve as secretary of the Navy under Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.
Installed when the town bought the building, the bell has been out of use for years because of structural damage to the bell cradle and steeple.
In the RFI, the town recommends reconstructing the cradle and bolting it to the steeple’s deck framing because “a functional bell is desirable and should be achieved.” That is one of 16 recommended repairs to the steeple, which together could cost as much as $334,525. Repairs to the roof could add another $300,000, and that is before any interior work is considered.
Buckfield officials reserve the right to consider applications for use, but have suggested potential uses could include a café or restaurant, an event space for public gatherings, a gallery or museum, artist studios with residential space, nonprofit office space and programming, residential use or small‑scale retail.
The challenge, Hinkley said, is that the church sits on a small parcel with little room to carve out additional parking without infringing on neighbors.
“It’s going to take a unique kind of group to tackle this,” he said, adding he is optimistic the church’s character will attract interest.
The town has scheduled tours of the building and grounds at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, for applicants interested in the project.
The RFI is set to close Oct. 20, after which town officials are expected to evaluate submissions. A question period is scheduled for Nov. 4‑11, and an announcement on next steps for the project is planned for Nov. 17.
More information, including photographs of the church’s interior and instructions for applicants, is available on the town’s RFI page.
