Restoration of church steeple in Jonesport completed after 10 years of fundraising

JONESPORT, Maine (WABI) - After years of community effort, a beacon of light has been restored in Washington County. The restoration of the Sawyer Memorial Congregational Church’s very own steeple has officially concluded.

“It’s been a landmark for many generations. The spire has been a point of reference out on the ocean, and the fishermen have all missed the spire in the last decade,” said Church Trustee Chris Crowley.

The Sawyer Memorial Congregational Church was originally built in 1887 by husband and wife Daniel and Emiline Sawyer as a gift to the town. However, the church’s steeple had started to show its age, as it was taken down in 2016.

“It started to show signs of rot and weathering. It was decided to list towards the cove, and it just got to the point that it was dangerous and needed to come down,” says Crowley.

Throughout the years, it took many fundraising efforts by the town’s community members to restore the steeple.

“Children emptied piggy banks because they wanted to see the steeple back before they were even born,” says Reverend Phyllis Merrit of Sawyer Memorial Congregational Church.

After a few months of delay, the church received its new steeple from American Steeples & Baptistries on February 5th. Church officials say the efforts of many have helped the church remain a beacon of light for the community.

“The day it was going up, it was just a constant flow of traffic. I’m hearing it at the store. Friends have called me saying how nice it is, so everyone in town is overjoyed to see it back in its place,” says Crowley.

“Having that steeple has always been a great deal for them. When they’ve come home from work and see that spire, it means ‘I’m home. I’m safe. We made it,” says Merrit.

The steeple measures at around 53 ft. Church members say restoration efforts will continue with additional work on the church’s shingles.