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September 24, 2009

Block party will celebrate church steeple

By Paul Leighton

BEVERLY — The First Baptist Church plans to celebrate its 106-foot-high steeple with a down-to-earth block party.

The downtown church is inviting everyone to a free block party starting at noon on Saturday to mark the completion of a $500,000 project to restore the historic steeple.

"We wanted to celebrate with the wider Beverly community," the Rev. Julie Flowers said. "The scaffolding was up for a long time, and Abbott Street was closed at times. We wanted to thank everybody for being so patient."

The project, which took a year, included strengthening the outside portion of the top of the steeple and replacing the wood shingles near the top with more weather-resistant aluminum. Workers also discovered that the rusted-out bolts on the nearly 1-ton bell in the steeple needed to be replaced.

Flowers said church members have a strong emotional connection to the steeple, which was built in 1869 when the church was moved to its current location on Cabot Street.

The steeple survived a 1975 fire, persuading members to rebuild on the same site. The light in the steeple guides boats into Salem harbor, which Flowers says serves as a metaphor for the church's role as a safe place.

"The question wasn't if we should (repair the steeple), but when we should," Flowers said.

The block party will include two live bands on the main stage, a barbecue, tours of the steeple, a magic show, a "soak a local" balloon splash, a bounce house, face-painting and a scavenger hunt sponsored by Beverly Main Streets.

Many of the events are free, but any money raised from such activities as the barbecue will go toward the cost of the steeple project, Flowers said.

Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or pleighton@salemnews.com.

If You Go

What: Community Block Party

When: Saturday

Where: First Baptist Church, 221 Cabot St.

Cost: Free

Information: 978-922-3295

Schedule:

Noon-1 p.m.: Orville Giddings Band

Noon-3 p.m.: Tours of Harborlight Nursery School

12:30-1 p.m.: Magic Show with magician Greg McAdams

1:15-1:45 p.m.: North Shore's largest church organ demonstration

1:15-1:45 p.m.: Music and dancing for Kids

2-3 p.m.: DadBeats Band

2-4 p.m.: Beverly Youth Soccer "Kick It" Event

3-3:45 p.m.: Pet contest

4-5 p.m.: Orville Giddings Band

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