FARMINGTON – After years of fundraising and renovating the North Church, the Farmington Historical Society’s next project will be to make sure everyone can enjoy it.
With that in mind, FHS officials met with Farmington Walmart store manager Greg Patterson to accept funds to build a walkway between Court Street and the rear entrance of the church. A handicap parking spot is positioned alongside the 142-year-old building on Church Street, and the addition will make the entire first floor accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
According to former society president Taffy Davis, who has helped organize previous North Church projects, the walkway is in line with the church’s historic role as a meeting place and venue for events.
“This is what the church was for decades,” Davis said, as two artists were setting up exhibits for the church’s participation in the Friday Art Walk event. “We’re trying to carry that forward.”
The North Church also provides space for yoga classes, bi-monthly concerts and, starting in the fall, weddings. A series of renovation projects, beginning in 2008, helped transform the North Church from a storage site to a meeting place. Built between 1868 and 1873, the church became owned by the Farmington Historical Society in 1971.
Davis and others thanked Walmart for providing $2,500 to build the walkway through a grant. Cindy Holschuh, another former FHS president, wrote the grant.
The work on the walkway will be completed this fall by E.L. Vining.
What a nice gift they received! This is such a unique house if you haven’t seen it yet ….You should! They are doing a great job preserving the history of this home and the history of our wonderful town. I salute the Farmington Historical Society!
Wonderful–congratulations! Thank you FHS!
And Walmart! Didn’t mean to leave you out!
Thank you Walmart. The present manager there is extremely conscious of the town’s history, and is encouraging funds to be sent “our” way.
Will this make the performance space accessible?
I think this opens up the meeting space to many who might otherwise have been excluded because of a lack of accessibility.
Kudos to all who made this happen!!!