Trustees of historic Standish church struggle to find the money to ensure its survival

Standish’s 222‑Year‑Old Old Red Church Faces $800,000 in Needed Repairs, Town Funding and Grant Hurdles

The Old Red Church, a 222‑year‑old landmark on Main Street in Standish, Maine, is in urgent need of repairs that could cost as much as $800,000. Though owned by the town, the church’s path to funding has proven difficult, as the historic‑building grant it sought was denied and public money can only be used in limited ways.

The Church’s History and Current Use

For generations of Standish residents, the Old Red Church has been a place of community and learning. The former schoolroom, a 19th‑century classroom, still sits on its grounds and is a frequent field‑trip destination for local students. Weddings, community plays, and a popular Holiday Craft Fair held at Bonny Eagle High School are also held there, bringing in roughly $13,000 a year that has traditionally covered most of the building’s upkeep.

The church is governed by a board of trustees, led by Chair Eleanor Dudek. The trustees originally transferred ownership of the church to the town in 1976, stipulating that they remain responsible for its maintenance. Despite this, the town has only recently begun to provide direct financial support: $8,000 two years ago, $20,000 for the 2025‑26 fiscal year, and $10,000 for 2026‑27. Dudek remarked, “I almost fainted when (the town) gave (the money) to us.”

The Scope of Needed Repairs

An engineering assessment completed last fall identified several critical repairs:

• 26 windows require restoration
• The roof must be re‑shingled
• The belfry is rotting and will need reconstruction
• The building needs repainting
• A recent storm opened a hole in the corner, revealing a 30‑foot post that is rotting

The cost of these repairs is estimated at about $800,000. The church has already spent $10,000 on a private grant from the Morton‑Kelly Charitable Trust, and $15,000 of a $16,000 endowment from the Gertrude Hasty Fund, which was left by a Standish resident in 1986, to replace the front doors. In addition, a specialized craftsman was paid approximately $30,000 to replace the rotten corner post, and further structural assessments are underway.

The Grant Roadblock

The Maine Historic Preservation Commission’s Historic Community Buildings Grant was the most promising source of funding. Approved by a $10 million bond in November 2024, the grant covers up to 75 % of eligible costs—up to $250,000 in the first round and $500,000 in total—with the requirement that applicants provide a 25 % match from private sources.

Because the Old Red Church is town‑owned, the commission deemed the church’s funds to be public and disqualified it from matching. The grant administrators concluded that using town money for a private match would violate state funding rules, leading to the rejection of the church’s application.

The trustees have spent $2,500 hiring an attorney to explore forming a nonprofit so that future revenue from the craft fair and other events could be classified as private. “Because (there are) funds that we raised and put in an investment account under the arm of the town, they would still, in some people’s opinion, belong to the town,” White, the grant administrator on the board, said. “We’re working as a team.”

The attorney is still working on a legal path that might allow the trustees to secure the 25 % match needed to apply for the grant’s next round this fall.

Other Funding Options

While the town is exploring options, the trustees have also looked at federal grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. White explained that preparing those applications would require more than 40 hours of work in addition to the grant’s own paperwork and reporting requirements. “(A federal grant application) would be my life for the next year,” she said.

In the meantime, the town’s Planning Director Zach Mosher has said he will not comment on future ownership or leasing arrangements until the trustees form the nonprofit and present a proposal to the Town Council.

Some town officials suggested selling the church to the trustees for $1 to separate its funds from public money. Dudek and White opposed that approach, citing the trustees’ lack of resources to cover insurance costs that the town currently pays.

What Lies Ahead

The church’s future hinges on whether the trustees can secure the necessary 25 % match and qualify for the historic‑building grant. The next round of the grant will open late summer or early fall. If the trustees can present a private match, they hope to receive up to $500,000 in funding—enough to cover the roof, windows, and belfry reconstruction, as well as ongoing maintenance.

“This kind of grant program and these amounts of grant funds are a rare opportunity, so missing this boat is pretty disappointing,” White said.

For now, the Old Red Church remains a beloved piece of Standish history, but its long‑term preservation may depend on a complex mix of town support, private fundraising, and state‑federal grant programs. The community watches closely as the trustees work to keep the historic structure standing for future generations.