STOCKTON SPRINGS - A section of Church Street will be blocked off by the fire department July 17 while two large sections of the new steeple for Stockton Springs Community Church are moved by truck from the lot next to the town office to the church.

The large crane that helped install several foundation pieces to the church steeple last year will also be making a return to town.

A transitional piece dubbed the "ornate" section will be the first to be placed atop last autumn's project, the "clock" section (the lower portion of the steeple was traditionally reserved for a clock. Stockton Springs Community Church never had one and the restoration is similarly "timeless").

The belfry, which houses a bell that was cast and manufactured in a foundry once owned by Paul Revere, will be set atop the ornate piece. 

The church was built in 1860 and today lies within a stone's throw of Route 1. The church has been without its landmark spire since 2008 when it was removed due to rot. 

The new steeple has been coming together over the past year as veteran steeple builder Robert Hanscom of Greene finishes the numerous pieces involved in what will eventually be an exacting replica of the original, with some internal structural improvements. 

The project is being funded by the volunteer Steeple Committee. The group recently kicked off a new fundraising campaign for the final section, the spire, with a $5,000 matching grant. The total cost of the Spire section is $38,000.

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For additional information about the steeple restoration, visit the Stockton Springs Community Church website.