When they move to their new church later this year, the members of the Bar Mills Community Church plan to take some history from their century on Salmon Falls Road with them.
The church bell, old pews and stained glass windows will be moved to a new $500,000 church, currently under construction on Hermit Thrush Drive.
The bell from the old church will not be mounted in the church’s new steeple. Plans call for the bell to be mounted on ground level in the new church. “It’ll be nice. We’ll have a little bit of the old church with us,” said parishioner Judith Moody.
Rev. Dan Carr, pastor at the church for 18 years, said the church hopes to have Easter services on Sunday, April 16, in the new structure. When the new building opens, Carr, 64, plans to end his nearly two decades of preaching in the church’s pulpit. He is planning on retiring at the end of this year. He praised his congregation. “It’s been a beautiful journey with them,” he said.
Project Foreman Bill Weeks of Risbara Construction Company, Inc., of Scarborough estimated the building would be completed in March. Electricians were busy wiring the building this week and insulating will get underway later this week. Weeks said the steeple would be hoisted aloft within two weeks.
With its steeple, the new building will have a traditional appearance. “What thrills everyone is that it looks like a church,” Carr said.
The 4,000 square-foot single story building will be handicapped accessible. With everything on one level, it’ll be a blessing for the church’s elderly parishioners, Carr said.
The church will seat nearly 250 people. The church has 150 members with about half attending the weekly 10 a.m. service on Sundays. Besides Buxton, the church has parishioners from the surrounding area. “We get a lot of people from Hollis, Standish and Gorham,” Moody said.
The new building is nestled in a secluded area in a housing development project off Portland Road near the Buxton Fire Station. The three-acre church lot will provide ample parking.
The new building will include classrooms for Sunday school. Carr said the church would feature a spacious sanctuary and a “good-sized” pulpit area, allowing room for church plays. “We do a lot of plays,” Carr said.
Church Moderator Barbie Petersen, who also serves as church play director, is scripting a transitional play to be performed when the new building opens. She’s looking ahead to when the building is ready for occupancy. “It’s coming right along,” she said.
The congregation is eager to landscape the church grounds. Carr said the church ladies are looking forward to spring. They want to develop gardens where people can “sit and relax,” he said.
The church had no room to expand at their present building near the Saco River and was further handicapped by a lack of parking. The old building has been sold to Risbara Brothers Construction, who also sold the new lot to the church.
The sale accounted for part of the costs of new construction. Bar Mills Community Church financed the rest of the project through Casco Federal Credit Union in Gorham. “We got a faith-based loan,” Peterson said. “They were very helpful. It’s a win-win situation.”
Fifteen people attended the closing of the sale including Rocco Risbara, Carr and several parishioners including Buxton Town Clerk John Myers.
According to Moody, Dave Sayers, president and chief executive officer of Casco Federal Credit Union and Dennis Harriman, vice president and manager of lending at the credit union, said it was the biggest turnout they had ever seen for a closing. “We’re really excited,” Moody said.
For more information on the Bar Mills Community Church call 929-3535.
Bar Mills Community Church hopes to hold Easter services in their new building under construction on Hermit Thrush Drive.
The Bar Mills Community Church is getting wired and hopes to celebrate Easter in a new building. Electrician Mike Murphy of Mancini Electric, Inc., is working in the new church building on Monday.
Construction supervisor Bill Weeks of Risbara Brothers Construction Company reviews plans for the Bar Mills Community Church. Weeks estimated the project would be completed in March.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
