MONTAGUE CENTER — For the first time in more than three decades, a thorough restoration of the First Congregational Church’s steeple is slated for completion next week.

According to church clerk and Property Committee member Ann Fisk, the restoration project began on May 8 after New Hampshire-based Robert Morgan Co. Steeple & Building Restoration observed significant structural degradation. Company owner Mike Duke deemed the structure as being in “desperate need” of repair.

“They would’ve had a lot more problems if we didn’t get there when we did,” Duke said.

Speaking to the Recorder more than 30 years ago at the time of the last restoration project, longtime church member Peg Bridges said the First Congregational Church was constructed in 1834. She touted the church and its steeple for being a cherished local landmark, while Fisk noted that the church is celebrated on the town’s seal.

Originally, Fisk said, Robert Morgan Co. arrived at the church with the intention of just repainting the steeple, which was last painted in 2013.

“It looked like it needed a good scrape and paint job and looked like it needed some light repair until we actually got up there and observed a lot more rot,” Duke recalled.

Duke said mainly, some of the wooden support beams needed to be replaced, as well as some of the wood in one of the steeple’s walls. Fisk said the roof near the church’s bell had holes, the crown molding had deteriorated and a decorative sphere at the base of the weather vane was “completely rotten” due to rain damage. The steeple’s clock will also have its hands and numbers repainted.

The steeple’s last full restoration project was completed in 1991, according to Fisk. The current project involves installing a newer type of oil-primed wood with a longer lifespan, she said.

Work on the steeple will be completed “no later than Wednesday,” Duke projected.

“Not only are they painters, they’re carpenters and roofers, and they've really done a wonderful job,” Fisk said of the restoration company.

The painting project would have cost the church around $12,500, Fisk said. With the added restoration work factored in, however, this cost increased to around $20,000. The church, which has already received between $12,000 and $13,000 in community contributions to fund the project, is currently seeking further donations to help pay the full price. Those interested in making a donation are encouraged to contact Ann Fisk at 413-512-0304 or mail checks made out to the First Congregational Church of Montague and earmarked “steeple” to P.O. Box 65, Montague, MA 01351.

Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.

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