Windham Hill UCC’s historic belfry to be restored by Easter

By Lorraine Glowczak

Windham Hill United Church of Christ at 140 Windham Center Road was recently awarded the maximum grant amount of $20,000 from the Maine Community Foundation’s Belvedere Historical Preservation and Energy Efficiency 2022 Fund for the restoration of its steeple.  

The steeple of Windham Hill United Church of Christ was
built in 1880 with the bell cast at one of Paul Revere's
workshops in Massachusetts. After 143 years of use, the
steeple is starting to crumble and deteriorate, and the
church has received a grant for restorative repairs.
FILE PHOTO 

According to the foundation’s website, the purpose of the grant is to “invest in the preservation, restoration, and retrofitting of historic buildings in Maine. Grants from this fund focus on capital investments in historic buildings that serve as civic, cultural, or economic hubs for communities.”

WHUCC certainly meets all the above criteria for its steeple renovations, expected to begin next week, as it has been the civic, cultural, and economic hub since Windham’s inception in 1762.

In New England’s early years, during the 17th and 18th centuries, the law mandated that states enforce religious devotion. Towns could not be legally established without a founding church that supported a minister by levying taxes. Windham’s Congregational Church, as it was named during the early years and now known as Windham Hill United Church of Christ, was that church.

Since the town of Windham was officially incorporated, the Congregational/UCC parishioners have met at different locations throughout the Windham area. But it was in 1834 when the present building was constructed. It remains a community gathering and worshiping location today.

“The steeple was added in 1880, nearly 50 years after the church was built,” said Rebecca Brown, WHUCC member and chair of the Steeple Taskforce. She further said. “What makes this bell so historically significant and unique is that it was cast in Boston at one of Paul Revere’s workshops in Massachusetts.”

After 140 years of use, the steeple that houses the historic bell is starting to crumble and needs important repairs if the bell is to continue to ring.

“The hemlock beams in the tower that hold the steeple in place are original and they have had significant dry rot over the years,” Brown said. “As a result, we are forced to add steel beams onto the hemlock to stabilize the tower which will also enable us to begin ringing the bell again.”

Brown said that the bell hasn’t rung in over six months due to the hemlock rot. In a previous interview, local historian, and member of WHUCC, Laurel Parker said, “Normally, the bell rings every Sunday but is also rung on special occasions for the community with the hope of peace. It was rung at the end of the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and on 9/11.”

The total cost to repair the steeple is approximately $41,000. While the Belvedere grant will provide a large portion of those costs, other funds have been provided to the church.

“We also have been awarded up to 50 percent of the cost of the steeple restoration through the Maine Steeples Fund with an additional $4,000 contributed from the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ committee on Resourcing the Local Church,” Brown said.

According to its website, The Maine Steeples Fund was established to support local efforts to restore church steeples of historic, cultural, and community significance in small cities and towns in Maine. They have provided financial assistance to over 75 Maine steeples since 2007.

“We are very grateful for all the financial awards and contributions we’ve received from the Belvedere grant, the Maine Steeples Fund, and the Maine Conference of the UCC,” WHUCC Pastor Sharon Rankin said. “This church and the bell that it houses have always been an important part of the community and we want to keep history’s momentum moving forward. This is something to be enjoyed and used for all occasions - for the town and its people. This restoration will keep that secure for years to come.”

Rankin pointed out that the church has always been a cultural, community, and historical building, but that WHUCC is, and always has been, a place to gather for worship – gaining spiritual sustenance in good times and bad.

Brown anticipates that the steeple will be fully restored in time for Easter worship.

"We are hoping against all hope that the restoration will be completed by the end of March and before Easter Sunday, April 9,” Brown said.  “It will be a great way to celebrate – to ring, to announce, and to rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord.”

WHUCC offers in-person, Zoom, and Facebook live options for worship. Sunday services begin at 9:30 am. For more information, contact the church office by phone at 207-892-4217 or by email at windhamhillucc1835@gmail.com. <

For whom the bell tolls: Windham’s first church congregation turns 275

By Lorraine Glowczak

Those who live or work on Windham Center Road near the intersection of Pope Road may hear a lot of ringing in their ears on Friday, December 14 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. If this is the case for you, be reassured that you most likely do not have tinnitus (serious case of ringing or buzzing in the ear). What you will be experiencing, instead, is the chime of the church bell from the belfry of Windham Hill United Church of Christ (WHUCC) as they celebrate their 275^th anniversary.

“We will begin ringing the bell 23 times at 9 a.m. this Friday,” began WHUCC Historian, Laurel Parker. “And we will continue to ring the bell 23 times on the top of the hour every hour until 8 p.m., at which time the bell will ring 22 times – adding up to a total of 275 rings.”

According to a press release submitted to and published in The Windham Eagle in June 2014, WHUCC, presently located at 140 Windham Center Road, has historical significance to the Town of Windham as it was the founding church for the town. In New England, during the 17^th and 18^th century, the law mandated that states enforce religious devotion. All towns were required to establish a church and support a minister by levying taxes. Over the next century, the congregation met in a few different locations throughout the Windham area. In 1834, the church that now stands in its present location was constructed and has remained there over the last two centuries. 

When that church was built, it gained a bell that also contains historical significance. “It [the bell] has been a part of our church since it was built in 1834-35,” explained Pastor of WHUCC, Sally Colegrove, in a previous interview. “The bell comes from a foundry in the Boston area out of one of the workshops of Paul Revere. The bell rings every Sunday but is also rung on special occasions for the community with the hope of peace. It was rung at the end of the Civil War, World War I, World War II and on 9/11.”

Parker further explained that whenever there is a call to ring bells across America for other momentous and time-honored events, the bell at WHUCC will always be heard ringing in unison with other bells across the nation. “Of course, the bell always rings every Sunday morning at 9:20 for the call to worship,” Parker said, referring to the 9:30 a.m. weekly service.

The Windham Eagle newspaper’s very own historian and writer, Walter Lunt, offered a bit of background history on Windham’s first church in his bi-weekly history series that was published in the March 24, 2017 edition.

“Windham Congregational Church [as it was named at the time] has occupied at least three separate locations, all on high points of land. Whether for protection, circumstance or perhaps a closer talk with thee, the church buildings were constructed on two separate hills (each named Anderson) and on Windham Hill……. local historians record the full or partial construction of no fewer than five churches between 1743 and 1834. In addition to their pioneering spirit, Windham’s early settlers needed certain essentials to achieve their goal of carving a prosperous township out of a barren wilderness: shelter, food, clothing and (yes, an essential) spiritual nourishment.”

Lunt also stated, “Attempts to construct a church atop Anderson Hill, off present-day River Road, were hindered by hostilities related to the French and Indian Wars. The partially framed edifice was torn down and the timbers used to help construct a fort to protect the early families. Under the pastoral guidance of Rev. John Wight, a 1729 graduate of Harvard College and the township’s first minister, the first services were conducted inside the fort. Early records indicate Rev. Wight was highly respected and remembered for his dedication and loyalty to the needs of the infant settlement - a devotion that impaired his health. Wight died in the fort, leaving behind a congregation that grew from seven to 25 members during his tenure.”

Approximately 200 members strong today with Rev. Colegrove at the helm for the past 15 years, the congregation officially changed its name from The First Congregational Church of Windham to what we know it today as Windham Hill United Church of Christ in January 1972.

With such a rich Windham heritage and history, the ringing of the bell is a celebration that not all communities can own. “As I sit in the pews every Sunday morning, what amazes me the most as a historian is the fact that this congregation began before George Washington was President,” stated Parker.

WHUCC raises funds and participates in numerous social and charitable causes on local, national and worldwide levels. This includes support for the Windham food pantry, the free Monday Meals program for seniors and others, E-waste collection and the international Heifer Project, which distributes live animals to third-world countries – to name just a few organizations that benefit from their missionary outreach.

For a look back on the church’s history, the original clerk’s book of the congregation that began in 1743, is available online and can offer a valuable source. Visit: digitalmaine.com/windham_whucc_books/1/.

“But you must always keep the original/paper source safe, if possible,” warned Parker. “Although we believe digital access will remain an obtainable resource forever – we must remember that we once thought of that with the floppy disk. Now, anything that has been placed on a floppy disk is not easily accessible.” 

As for the ringing of the bell on Friday, December 14, Parker joked that those in the congregation who have offered to ring the bell this Friday will face a certain challenge. “It’s a heavy bell and I’m certain those who will be pulling on the 1-inch thick rope for a very heavy bell with 23 or 22 repetitions will surely be exhausted when they are done.”

Happy Birthday, Windham Hill United Church of Christ. Thank you for providing the historical and spiritual roots to Windham. Based upon the rules of 17^th century New England, the town would not be here without you.

Laurel T. Parker – the positive impact of a children’s librarian by Lorraine Glowczak

Kate Woodside, Mrs. Parker, Ellen Woodside

Whether you love eating sweet cupcakes (as in the children’s book, “If You give a Cat a Cupcake”) or devouring sour candy worms (as in the children’s book, “Diary of a Worm”) then you were likely at the most bittersweet event of the year hosted by the Windham Public Library (WPL) as they celebrated the retirement of Laurel T. Parker, the children’s librarian for the past 25 years.

“I must admit, it is mostly sweet”, Parker said with a smile regarding her retirement.

Young and old alike filled the downstairs conference room of the library to shower Parker with gifts, offer thanks for her service and to say their goodbyes on Monday, August 27^th from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Her official retirement date will be September 4.

But the ending of a long career has a story and Parker would most likely agree that every story with an ending must also have a beginning.

So how did Parker begin her journey in the career of a children’s librarian? “There were definitely some twist and turns,” explained Parker.

It is true that she had always wanted to become a librarian and while in high school, she volunteered at the Nashua [New Hampshire] Public Library where she lived at the time. “I like to gain knowledge and I like to share knowledge,” Parker stated. “Being a librarian is the perfect profession for me.”

But when it was time to begin college at the University of New Hampshire, she chose a degree program that would not necessarily take one in the direction in which she landed.

“For some reason, I thought that in order to become a librarian, you needed to get a degree in English,” she explained. “Since I didn’t like English, I decided to major in Parks and Rec Administration.” She admitted it wasn’t the most direct path to become a librarian.

Soon after she graduated college, she moved to Maine to live near her parents who had moved near the Windham area. She worked for various organizations such as Camp Fire (originally, Camp Fire Girls of America) and then at Reece Corporation in Gorham where she met her husband, Walt. Once their daughter, Jennie was born, Parker became a stay at home mom until Jennie was in the fourth grade.

“I needed a job with insurance,” she explained. “There was an opening for a part-time assistant children’s librarian, so I applied and got the job.”

She worked in that position for two years – until the head children’s librarian retired. “I was approached to fill her position, so I spoke to my husband and daughter to get their feedback about this new full-time position,” Parker explained. “Walt was supportive of my choice as was my daughter.”

But her daughter’s response, who was in the 6^th grade at the time, was slightly self-serving. “She asked me, ‘Will I get a raise in my allowance?’”, Parker laughed at the memory. Needless to say, Parker accepted the job and has been in the position ever since.

Parker shared some insights regarding those who may wish to make a career in the profession. “Be a part of the Friends of the Library. It is one of the best ways to become involved and gain knowledge about the library business.”

There is one surprising fact that Parker also shared. “Everyone thinks that if you are a librarian, you read a lot. But the fact is, you don’t have time to read. If I knew how much I had to read, I wouldn’t have taken the job.” she joked.

To make sure she does read and keep up on the latest children’s books, Parker joined the Maine Student Book Award Committee. “The committee consists of four public librarians, four school librarians and four English teachers. We read recently published books and choose one as the award winner for the year.” There is also an award for various age groups.

One of Mrs. Parker's favorite children's books

There are many things Parker will miss about her job but there is one aspect of being a children’s librarian that she will miss the most. “More than anything, I will miss purchasing and building a diverse collection of books, that include Maine authors, for the children of Windham,” she reflected. “But I’m certain it will go on to capable hands.”

It was evident at Monday’s retirement party that many will miss Parker’s presence after September 4^th. Sisters Kate Woodside, age 7 and Ellen Woodside, age 11 were among the many young readers who attended the festivities.

“The thing is, every time we come here, she is always so kind and always has a big smile on her face,” Ellen said of Parker. “This is what we will miss the most.” Kate agreed with her sister’s statement. “Yes! Yes! We will really miss her.”

Jen Alvino, Director of the Windham Public Library concurred with the Woodside sisters. “I will miss Laurel in many ways. She is so kind and helpful. I will especially miss her multiple connections with the community since she is involved in many organizations. She is a tremendous asset to the library in many ways. Her knowledge and presence will definitely be missed.”

What’s next for Parker? Besides volunteering, being an active and/or lifetime member of the Girls Scouts, Windham Historical Society, Longfellow Garden Club, Garden Club of Maine, National Garden Club and an active member of Windham Hill United Church of Christ, Parker will spend her time volunteering even more. “I want to be a VNA Hospice volunteer,” Parker reflected, wanting to give back to the organization who was there for her husband who passed away in April 2017.

“I also want to become a platelet donor for the Red Cross,” she said. “I’ve always given blood and now I also want to do this.”

One will still see Parker at the Library every Tuesday as she will continue her participation in the Knitters ‘N More gathering that meets from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. You might even hear Parker read a book at that weekly gathering.

As for travel, she has no immediately plans. “But I now have a passport, so if anything comes up, I can travel on a moment’s notice.”

Wherever life takes you, Laurel T. Parker, the community wishes you the best. Thank you for inspiring the love of reading in the youth of Windham.

Library Open House revealed exciting new updates to better serve the community by Lorraine Glowczak

Children's Librarian Laurel Parker shows off new infant dpace

The Windham Public Library staff and town officials invited the community to a “Grand Reopening” Open House that included a large spread of refreshments on Thursday, April 12 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. to celebrate the recent library renovations. 
 

The event began with a welcome and opening remarks by Library Director, Jen Alvino and Town Manager, Tony Plante to a crowd of approximately 35 to 40 library patrons who were eager to see the new updates.

Alvino expressed her gratitude to both the public for their understanding and patience during the renovation process, as well as to the Town Council and Town Manager for their support. Alvino pointed out that the new library renovations contributes extensively to better serve the community needs now and in the future. 

She also shared her appreciation of the library staff. “The renovation process would not have been as successful without the amazing staff’s excitement and ability to adapt to constant changing circumstances.”

Plante also expressed his admiration of Alvino and the staff’s ability to keep the library operating during the updates and the frequent changes with perpetual moving parts. “It was like playing library Tetris,” he began. “The staff’s excitement and upbeat attitude was nothing short of amazing.”

The many improvements that help better service the community include one larger circulation desk instead of two. The new desk is on the first floor to accommodate all areas of the library and it comes with an additional work room space. 

Jennifer Dupree, Circulation Supervisor is very happy with the new expanded circulation desk. “With the work room, we now have the space to store returns until either a staff member or a volunteer can return them back to the shelves, creating more space and efficiency.”

There is also a new counter area behind the circulation desk which provides the space for processing and delivery. This updated feature now expedites the delivery of books, CDs and other library materials to the patrons more efficiently. 

Children and teens are also benefiting from the renovations. The children’s room now includes and dedicates a space for infants and operates with a new, easy to follow system.

McKenzie Crossman in the new teen study space

“We now have a color coding system,” explained Laurel Parker, Children’s Librarian. “The colors correspond to the age of the reader. This gives the space a much more orderly flow and makes it easier for the young patron to find what they are looking for.”

Parker also pointed out that the beautiful mural of Babb’s Bridge on the east wall is now in full view. Prior to the renovations, the painting was partially hidden due to shelving. “People are seeing the mural for the first time,” Parker said. “It’s been there for a while but no one could see it until now.” 

The second floor got a few of its own facelifts including a Maine Collections Room that comes with a table and four chairs for study, as well as a high back executive chair for reading. Another addition includes two private study rooms that can hold up to 4 or 5 people at one time.

Teenagers enjoy the new computer space to work on homework

The improved second floor also comes with a quiet study corner just for teens as well as a table with four computers. “I come here after school often and wait for my dad to pick me up,” began McKenzie Crossman, who used the corner study space to get some of her assignments done before spring break began. “I really like that we [teenagers] have our own space to study and it makes me look forward to coming here. I also like that we can hang out with friends in this new space.”

The three-hour open house was a success, with a steady stream of library patrons, including many of the Windham delegation, to look at the library’s makeover and the new services it is now able to offer.