Springfield's historic Old First Church receives additional funding for restoration

Old First Church in Springfield is seeing more new developments. 22 News reporter Gabriela Villas-Boas joins us live in studio with more about the renovation updates. That's right. Old First Church is getting a step closer to restoration. Additional funding has come in to help stabilize the historic building and reactivate it as part of the city. Old First Church on Court Square in Springfield is over 200 years old, and now the city is giving it a new life. The building was a key part of American history, being a stop on the Underground Railroad, hosting multiple guests like abolitionists, and former President John Quincy Adams laid in state in the center aisle. The city of Springfield is currently working to restore the building, now utilizing about $2.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding from the U.S. Department of Treasury. And recently awarded $300,000 from the Community Preservation Act grant. We're really happy to see that it's coming back to life. It's a great thing. The building suffered some damage from the 2011 tornado. Now plans for restoration include exterior carpentry repair, column repair and reconstruction, masonry repointing, and repairs to the parish house. However, the clock is now officially restored and working. The mayor says his intention is to restore, stabilize, and redevelop the building, and to make the space usable again. This is not only part of Springfield history, it's part of America's history. It's being renovated, and we're going to reactivate that to be an integral part of Court Square. This project began in the summer, and the municipal building director says he hopes this phase will be complete this winter. We expect completion on this phase of work to occur in late December. The exterior shell, by the time this project is complete, will be in tremendous shape. Now for those of you wondering about the rooster, they did tell us that they are exploring the possibility of reinstalling that weather vane. Working for you, I'm Gabrielle Villas-Boas, 22 News.