Church Demo in Wolfeboro

[Lakesrider]

They just started tearing down the rear section of the Church on Main Street in Wolfeboro this morning. Must have been in serious trouble to have to tear it down like that.:(...Anyway a few onlookers and picture takers out there right now.....

[Heaven]

I would call that the front section, the half nearest Main Street (the old part). They had stopped using it due to structural failure about a year ago.

[tis]

I think it is very sad they didn't fix the old one. It was so pretty.

[mcdude]

...the Congregational church?

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ471mdhjPZdjNqzJMxexm3H_62-8IKRTN-GQuAqmLCkZq9Rnhr

[Lakesrider]

Yep. The right side is all but gone....The front....;)

[tis]

Yep. The right side is all but gone....The front....;)

Look at that! Isn't that a beautiful building? And the new one won't be very pretty at all (IMHO).

[Lakesrider]

Took a phone pic on the way home tonight....

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e233/midgetmgb/photobucket-7689-1380144769200_zps66096241.jpg

[tis]

That is so sad.

[pcmc]

It's a shame to see such a beautiful building come down.
On the bright side, if there is a problem with the structure, at least it is being addressed properly. It drives me crazy when a building is abandoned, or a business relocates, and a new building is erected right next door. The new building is put up where ever there is an open piece of land, while the original building is left to rot.
The way they are doing this may be more costly, but the right way.imo.

[Heaven]

Look at that! Isn't that a beautiful building? And the new one won't be very pretty at all (IMHO).Have you seen the plans?

[pcmc]

Have you seen the plans?

lol. How great is that. A thread about the House of God and Heaven taking the time to post. I read Heaven's posts with the almighty voice echoing throughout.
Luv it! :)

[tis]

I saw a picture, not all the plans.

[Lakesrider]

Laugh if you want. That picture I took is the clearest picture my cell phone has ever taken....Divine intervention?:eek::laugh::D

[birchhaven]

It is really too bad that it is being demoed with no salvage. From the pictures and every church I have ever been in I bet some of those beams and even stone would be really nice for another use.

[mcdude]

If one were to snoop around the church's webpage (http://www.wolfeborochurch.org/) there is a lot of information about this project. What I couldn't really find was why the reconstruction was needed in the first place. The congregation has been struggling with three options ranging from renovation to reconstruction with anticipated costs ranging from 1.4 to 2.75 million ....which leads to the question of fundraising and a capitol campaign. There's even a powerpoint! It truly is an historic building. My interest is piqued due to several old postcards in my collection.

[secondcurve]

McDude: Please google the June 3, 2013 Wolfeboro town meeting minutes for explanation. I couldn't get the link to work. It sounds like that section of the building was in really tough shape.

[Lakesrider]

What it looks like today....

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e233/midgetmgb/content___media_external_images_media_465_zps3fd82 c08.jpg

[Just Sold]

From: New Hampshire Business Review
http://www.nhbr.com/January-10-2014/People-and-Property-Real-Estate-and-Construction-News-Roundup/?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=010814+Roundup (http://www.nhbr.com/January-10-2014/People-and-Property-Real-Estate-and-Construction-News-Roundup/?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=010814+Roundup)
North Branch Construction of Concord reports that it continues work on schedule and on budget at the historic First Congregational Church of Wolfeboro. Foundations and structural steel are complete and framing began shortly after Thanksgiving. The building is expected to be fully enclosed by the end of January.
North Branch said it has taken great precaution to carefully remove many historic elements from the church so that they may be displayed and put to use in the new sanctuary. The church’s stained glass windows and curved pews were placed in storage, where they will remain until it is time to reinstall them into the new sanctuary. The church bell was lowered before demolition and will be placed on display in a structure in front of the church.
Design of the structure by the project’s architect – G-V-V Architects of Burlington, Vt. – should be completed soon, the company reported.

[tis]

Glad to hear work is continuing. We wondered because it seems like nothing has happened for a while. Of course the new building can never be as pretty as the old building.

[Lakesrider]

Yes it looked a bit stagnant for a while there, however I saw a few cars and trucks parked out front the last few days. Maybe the cold is halting things as it is steel after all. Can't be fun working on cold steel like that......Brrrr.....:eek:

I'll stop and take a picture tomorrow.....

[Merrymeeting]

Design of the structure by the project’s architect – G-V-V Architects of Burlington, Vt. – should be completed soon, the company reported.

I found this line interesting. I drive through Wolfeboro several times a week. At this point, much of the framing structure is in place. How do they do this when the design isn't done? Perhaps this is the reason for the delay?