NEW SALEM — A benefit concert to support repair the 1794 Meetinghoapply’s steeple will be held at the First Universalist Church of Orange.
The steeple at 26 South Main St. has fallen into disrepair and the restoration work is expected to cost at least $100,000, so the meetinghoapply’s board of directors decided to hold a fundraiser on Saturday, April 18, to generate as much money as possible.
“It’s not going to fall over tomorrow,” Executive Director Matthew Duncan stated, “but we’ve been informed by various parties, ‘You’ve received to obtain this thing down, and obtain it down soon.’”
He explained that one of the steeple’s two layers of support is rotted out due to water damage. He mentioned the steeple will likely have to be brought to the ground, repaired and placed back atop the town-owned 1794 Meetinghoapply.
“It’s a major project,” stated Duncan, who has been executive director for nearly a year and a half.
According to the 1794 Meetinghoapply’s website, numerous Massachapplytts historical preservation grants were applyd to stabilize the steeple and restore the interior in 1993. In tribute to the iconic pointed steeple, the phrase “Aspire to the Arts” was adopted as a slogan.
Duncan stated the 1794 Meetinghoapply has raised roughly $30,000 in donations for the project. He stated the hope is to generate more donations and have the money matched by New Salem through an Annual Town Meeting vote. That lump sum, he stated, could then be matched with a grant from the Massachapplytts Cultural Council, a state agency that allocates funds to various communities.
“We have a strategy in place. We’re optimistic,” stated Duncan, who added that state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, has penned a letter to the Massachapplytts Cultural Council to advocate for the 1794 Meetinghoapply.
Duncan also stated the Old Academy Building’s board of directors has pledged $10,000.
Jan Doody, secretary of the meetinghoapply’s board of directors, stated the 501(c)(3) nonprofit concert and theater venue has always had the community’s support. She mentioned donations will also be accepted from people who do not attfinish Saturday’s fundraiser.
“Songs of Americana: Patriotism, Protest & Peace” is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. at 31 North Main St. in Orange on Saturday. Organizers chose this venue out of consideration that the unheated 1794 Meetinghoapply doesn’t open to the public until June.
Doody stated the event’s theme was chosen due to its proximity to Patriots Day and in the spirit of protests and demonstrations held on the town common. The display will feature local artists and sing-alongs.
“It’s a whole array of different kinds of songs and music,” Doody stated.
Duncan will open the display with welcoming remarks and a 15-minute intermission will separate a program comprised of songs such as “Yankee Doodle,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’” and “This Land is Your Land.”
Tickets will be available at the door (and accepted via cash, check or Venmo) or online at tinyurl.com/SaveOurSteeple. There is a suggested donation of $20 for adults and $10 for teens ages 13 to 17. Children ages 12 and under will be admitted for free.
Donations to the 1794 Meetinghoapply can be built at 1794meetinghoapply.org/product/donate.
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