Beverly Unitarian Church

Last spring the Congregation decided to gather additional information before making a decision about whether to remain in the Castle.  A critical piece of that information has just arrived.  The architectural team has sent us the feasibility study for castle improvements and copies have been emailed to church members and friends.  We also have several hard copies to borrow in the back of the sanctuary at church.  The architects have been very thorough in their research of building codes, of historical preservation, and of green building options, in order to meets our needs for accessibility, comfort, storage, visibility and community space. 

The plans include four potential phases of work. Within each phase, there are renovations that can be completed independently of the other phases. Although the total cost seems large, we asked for plans that would make it possible to make changes over time; as we grow and prosper, we could complete more of the work.

Would you like to talk about the plans? Do you have questions or concerns? We plan to hold a discussion for the congregation, over a hot soup lunch, on a January Sunday after church (date to be determined). We will have copies of the plan on small tables for everyone to examine and discuss.

Even if we all love this vision for our church home, a lot has to happen before we could begin. We would need, as a congregation, to commit to staying in the Castle. We would need to conduct a capital campaign. We would need to see how much we can afford to accomplish each year. The alternative to renovating the Castle is to sell the property and to buy or rent another building. So far, we have not found any viable alternative locations, but we have not stopped looking. Last spring, the board decided that it would make a recommendation on the building (stay and renovate or move) and bring it to the congregation for a vote at a special meeting next March.

                                                                        Beth O'Grady