First Parish steeple gets additional funding after contractor goes silent 

The Community Preservation Commission approved additional funds for the First Parish steeple restoration after the project’s original contractor, American Steeples, stopped responding to the church. 

First Parish received funding last year for the steeple restoration and solicited three bids for the project. Property Commissioner Walter Beebe-Center said the church selected American Steeple, signed its proposal and expected the company to complete the work in 2026. After following up multiple times, Beebe-Center said he has not received a response from the company since its last communication in May.  

First Parish has since met with its two other bidders. Last year, the CPC approved $77,250 for the project. First Parish returned to the commission seeking an additional $50,768 to cover increased project costs. 

During Tuesday’s meeting, Commissioner Frank Fitzgerald asked about the structural integrity of the steeple outside of the exterior restoration. 

“All accounts have indicated that structurally that is a stable steeple, good for another century,” Beebe-Center said. 

Also at Tuesday’s meeting the Community Day Center of Waltham requested funding to restore the exterior of its building at 20 Felton St., including replacing its siding and windows. The center has provided crisis management, support services and housing assistance to people experiencing homelessness for more than 20 years and has operated at its current Felton Street location since around 2014.

Executive director Chloe-Rose Crouch said the siding and windows need to be replaced for the building to remain viable and usable.

The center hopes to begin the project this fall. The commission approved up to $85,000 for the restoration of the exterior, with the Historical Commission providing oversight of the materials.

Gore Place received funding last year from the CPC to assess the condition of its south-facing windows, which have deteriorated after centuries of exposure to sunlight and weather. 

On Tuesday, Gore Place returned to the commission seeking funding for a larger restoration based on the study’s findings. The organization received two bids for the work, including one from its preferred contractor, Gilman Guidelli & Bellow, which proposed restoring the window sashes and repairing the surrounding frames. The commission approved up to $350,000 for the work.  

The funding recommendations will next go before the City Council for approval.