Purpose and Background:
The Maine Steeples Project supports local efforts to assess and restore church steeples of historic, cultural and community significance to communities in Maine. The program seeks to match local resources devoted to restoring steeples.
The Maine Steeples Project is a collaborative project of Maine Preservation, the Maine Community Foundation, and a donor-advised fund at the Maine Community Foundation.
A Steeples Project success story: The North New Portland Community Church completed upgrades on its bell tower in July of 2008. The repairs included window replacement, new cribbing for the bell, construction of a new bell wheel, and replacement of the balustrades.
The Maine Community Foundation (MaineCF) oversees the program and Maine Preservation, a statewide resource and advocacy group for historic preservation activities, acts in an advisory capacity to the project.
Guidelines and applications the Maine Steeples Project can be found below. Maine Preservation has additional resources on its website related to potential vendors and standards for historic restoration.
This grant program will be available through 2012, with up to $10,000 in grants made annually for assessments and up to $40,000 in grants made annually for restoration projects.
Eligibility Requirements
Organizations seeking to apply for grant support from the Maine Steeples Project must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Steeples must be part of a church building with historic, cultural and community significance in need of restoration and/or repair located in a Maine municipality or township with fewer than 50,000 people
- Church buildings must be owned by a religious institution and/or a local nonprofit organization
- Church congregation or organizational membership must also be prepared to:
Please choose your assessor carefully and review our Assessment Requirements with the assessor early in the process. We recommend you review the list of professionals on Maine Preservation’s website under “Resources: Steeples, Towers & Weathervanes” if you do not already have an assessor in mind.
Step One: Steeple Assessment
As part of our interest to support local efforts to preserve church steeples of historic, cultural and community significance to communities in Maine, we also want to encourage restoration efforts that follow the best practices of historic preservation whenever feasible. A thorough and written assessment of your steeple by a qualified individual is an important first step for you to understand the extent of the work (and likely total cost) and is a prerequisite for a Steeple Restoration Grant
Steeple Assessment Grants are available for groups needing financial assistance in this process. The maximum award amount for the Assessment Grant is $4,000. A minimum of a 10% match of the total cost is required. For example, if the total cost of an assessment is $3,000, your minimum match would be $300 ($3,000 x .10) and your grant request could be for $2,700 ($3,000 x .90). Typically, assessments cost between $2,500 and $4,000 and may take several months to schedule.
Assessment Criteria
- Description of the building (age, architectural style, framing system, etc.) and existing conditions that need to be addressed (leaking, structure program, leaning, deterioration, etc.)
- A minimum of five digital images, showing the overall exterior structure and details of the area needing repair
- The scope of the proposed restoration work to be done, including estimated costs, methods of completing the work. The Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Preservation of Historic Properties defines best practices. The Standards may be found at: www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/standguide/index.htm
- Description of parts of the restoration work that will not follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and why deviation from those standards is considered necessary.
Application, Review and Selection Process
Applications for Assessment Grants and Assessment Reviews may be submitted at any time and we will endeavor to respond to each applicant within 90 days with our decision.
If your church/nonprofit has been approved for an Assessment Grant, the Maine Community Foundation will send a notification letter and check for the first half of the grant amount directly to the organization with the expectation that the assessment will be conducted within six months of the first funds being received. A copy of the assessment must be shared with the Maine Community Foundation as part of a final report, at which point the second half of the grant will be sent out.
Please send one electronic version or three printed copies of the application and requested additional information to:
Jennifer Southard
Maine Community Foundation
1 Monument Way, Suite 200
Portland, ME 04101
or jsouthard@mainecf.org
For further information, please contact Jen at (877) 700-6800.
Step Two: Steeple Restoration Grant
Once you have successfully completed the assessment called for in Step 1, your church/nonprofit can select a steeplejack/restoration contractor, determine the cost of the work, and then apply for a Steeple Restoration Grant. The maximum grant amount is $40,000. A minimum of a 50% match of the total cost is required. For example, if the total cost of the restoration work is $70,000, your minimum match would be $35,000 ($70,000 x .50) and your grant request could be for $35,000 ($70,000 x .50). However, if the total cost were $120,000, your match requirement would be $80,000, since the program’s maximum award is $40,000.
Application and Selection Process
To apply for a Steeple Restoration Grant, the church/nonprofit should submit one electronic version or 3 printed copies of the Steeple Restoration Application to the Maine Community Foundation by November 1. We expect decisions to be made by December 15. (Applicants who have conducted an assessment on their own may not apply for a Restoration Grant until their assessment has been reviewed and approved by the Maine Steeples Project.)
Steeple Restoration funds will be distributed to grant awardees in two equal installments. The first payment will be made when the grant application is approved. Quarterly status reports are required for the duration of the grant period and will be reviewed by the MaineCF and Maine Preservation. The second payment will be made after successful completion of the project and after timely receipt of all quarterly status reports. The expectation is that all matching funds will be raised within 12 months of the initial grant award letter and that the project will be completed after an additional 12 months.
Funding Considerations for Restoration Grants
In making grant awards, the following criteria will be considered:
- Architectural, historic and cultural significance of the church building
- Need for the project and financial resources of the membership to successfully undertake restoration work
- The scope of the project, methodology and budget
- Applicant’s ability to manage and execute the project within the stated schedule and budget
- Applicant’s ability to raise matching funds and leverage new sources of support to complete the project
- Extent of outreach to, and support from, local community for the proposed restoration project
Maine Steeples Project Grant Forms
RTF versions: Assessment application | Steeple restoration application | Quarterly report
PDF versions: Assessment application | Steeple restoration application | Quarterly report
Other Funding Sources
The Maine Historic Preservation Commission's New Century Community Program awards matching grants for the restoration of historic buildings and structures. Eligible projects are those that involve the restoration of buildings or structures that are listed in or that are scheduled to be nominated for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, and that are owned by public agencies or nonprofit institutions.