Central Congregational Church, Middleborough

The Central Congregational Church of Middleboro, built in 1848, was always a historical Greek revival landmark on South Main Street. The church was almost destroyed by a 4-alarm fire on an early Memorial Day morning in 2009. The fire began with an electrical problem that rapidly traveled up the wall to the roof. The church suffered more than one million dollars in damages. The congregation was also devastated by the loss of the church’s two-story antique organ. The planning for the restored structure began soon after the flames were extinguished. Many people advised the church to tear down the building and began anew. The fire destroyed the top third of the building. The pastor and the congregation knew however, that their sanctuary was a masterpiece and they knew it had to be preserved. Every attempt is being made to save as much of the historical landmark as possible. Working with the churches insurance company, an assembled team of engineers and a congregation with a budget, Alpha Construction is working hard to restore the sanctuary to its original New England classic appearance. The steeple was removed and valuated. It was decided a new steeple would be built to replicate the badly burned structure. The roof was painstakingly removed. The interior of the church was stripped. Remaining beam and frames were dry ice blasted removing charred wood. When woodwork in the sanctuary was laid bare, a beautiful etched flower design was revealed. Exterior vinyl wall siding will be replaced with a low maintained material that will resemble wooden clapboards. Energy efficient glass windows were installed and antique stain glass windows are being painstakingly replaced. The exterior of the edifice will maintain the church’s original look as a New England beloved landmark. The exterior of the building and sanctuary will be restored as authentically as possible. The beautiful arching church choir loft will be rebuilt. The church will be replacing the 2 story antique pipe organ. The new building will meet updated building and safety codes. The elevator will be reestablished and more classrooms will be built. The pastor says, "This entire effort is bringing testimony to the good that can emerge even from the biggest setbacks - we need to think about the 160 years of history."