FPUU church candid pictures

First Parish Preservation Foundation

    The First Parish Preservation Foundation is a new organization, a non-profit corporation, dedicated to preserving the historic building that now houses the First Parish Unitarian Universalists. This church building dates back to 1773 with a major revision in 1803. While serving as a church, over the years it has also been used for the town offices, a library, and a town emergency center. Today it serves dozens of community groups not related to the religious activities in the church. It is truly a community resource as well as being regarded as one of the finest examples of Federal period architecture in Kennebunk.

    The challenge of maintaining this historic building has rested almost entirely on the church membership. From time to time some help has come from the community. In all, over $1 million dollars have been invested in the building over the last ten years. These projects have restored the steeple, which housed the bell cast by Paul Revere, replaced the rare Trompe d ‘oeuil ceiling in the sanctuary, and restored the antique E. Howard steeple clock. Now the bell and the clock again proudly mark the time for all Kennebunk. So important work has already been done. There is much more to do.

    The Foundation encourages support from all community members. Donations are tax-exempt*. The board is listed below and consists of both church members and non-church members.

Please connect to the First Parish Preservation Foundation website to read much more about this undertaking.

The Walter Moulton Memorial Fund

The Finance Committee has approved a motion to re-name the fund created by the church ’s “IN-HOUSE” capital campaign (not to be confused by any future capital campaign to be conducted by the First Parish Preservation Foundation).  The fund will be known as the Walter Moulton Memorial Fund.  Our “in-house” capital campaign has the goal of paying for the recent capital improvements to the sanctuary, clock, and other items as well as to help fund the new First Parish Preservation Foundation. It also has an obligation to pay back the amount borrowed from the church’s reserve fund used to help pay for the sanctuary restoration project. By calling this fund the “Walter Moulton Memorial Fund” we will be recognizing Rev. Walter Moulton for his many contributions to our community and this church.  We also hope to avoid confusion between capital funds raised by the church vs. those raised in the future by the First Parish Preservation Foundation.

The Finance Committee continues to ask church members and friends who made pledges to our “in-house” capital campaign to make their checks out to FPUU Church and stipulate that the donation is to the ”Walter Moulton Memorial Fund” or to the “Capital Campaign”.  As those funds come in we will pay down the loan from our reserves and grant the balance to the FP Preservation Foundation. This way both the church and the foundation will have a clear record of the amount raised directly by the church to fund the First Parish Preservation Foundation. This will help the Foundation in its future fundraising efforts and is a nice way to honor Walter Moulton’s memory. We have paid down the loan from our reserves from a high of over forty thousand dollars to just $ 18,000.  We have also paid directly for several capital improvements and granted over $ 7,000 to the Foundation, some of which is being used now to pay for the clock restoration.  Thank you all for your pledges and continued support. 

Kevin Flynn Treasurer.