A building that has fed souls in Gorham for 125 years might be filling up bellies instead.
The School Street Methodist Church, which has been for sale for five years, is under contract to be sold. “We’re pretty enthusiastic it’s going to happen,” said Dennis Morton, a church trustee.
The congregation has plans to build a new church and Morton said the prospective buyer, who he declined to name, wants the old church building for a restaurant.
The church represents an integral part of the lives for generations in some families. A lifelong parishioner, Doris Bridges, and her children were baptized there and she was married in the church. “It’s been a sweet thing,” Bridges said.
Her sister, Ruth Ayers, who celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary in the church in 2002, feels its time to build. “Most of the congregation realizes it’s time to move on where there’s plenty of parking,” said Ayers, who lives on School Street nearby the present church.
The American Journal reported a year ago that the church had dropped its original asking price from $495,000 to $390,000. “A very interested buyer has made an offer,” Morton said recently.
Morton said church trustees have already approved the sale. The church membership will vote on the sale on Oct. 26. “It’s exciting. We’ve waited to get on with the project for so long,” Morton said believing parishioners would approve.
A change in use from a church to a restaurant would also require approval from the town. Gorham Planner Deborah Fossum hadn’t heard a proposal last week from anyone about plans for the church. “We haven’t talked with anyone,” she said.
She said a change of use “would likely” require either a site plan review by the planning board or by the Site Review Committee. Fossum said a restaurant is an allowable use in the village center district.
Parking has troubled the sale of the church as it doesn’t have off street parking. Morton called parking a “stumbling block” in the past.
But Morton said the church had a traffic and parking study done and results indicated that a restaurant would generate less traffic. Up to 150 parishioners now attend a Sunday morning worship service. Throughout the week, the church has also housed a daycare center, a well baby clinic, food pantry and a meeting place for scout groups. The proposed use would be less of an impact, according to Morton.
Fossum said parking would be the biggest concern. But she declined to comment further before seeing what is being planned for reuse of the building.
Tom Ellsworth, president of the Gorham Economic Development Corporation, said that parking in the village is one of the most difficult aspects and said downtown space is at a premium. A sale would allow the church to fulfill its goal, Ellsworth said.
On hearing of the potential sale of the church, Sherrie Fontaine, a neighbor of the church, said its good to preserve the building. She said a restaurant would be a fine new mission for the building. ‘It’s good for the Methodist Church if they have a buyer,” she said. “They’ve been chomping at the bit.”
Fontaine, who owns Accounts Receivable of Maine, in the downtown, added that a restaurant would be fun. ‘There would be good lunch specials,” she said.
Reuse of the historic building for a restaurant would add another business onto Gorham tax rolls. “It’s a win situation for the church and the town,” Morton said. “We’re enthusiastic the town will approve.”
Morton is optimistic that a closing could come as early as Dec. 31. He said the buyer has offered to rent the building back to the church for 12 months with an option for another six months, allowing the congregation construction time.
The church plans a $1.7 million new building on 12 acres at the corner of Cressey Road and Route 25. The site is close to where a Gorham bypass would intersect with Route 25 west of Gorham Village. A model called for a glass entry with a 400-seat sanctuary, 150 more seats that in the present church. The project would include a multi-purpose fellowship hall with an office and library.
The School Street Methodist Church was built in 1880.
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