Wakefield, MA – Groom Construction, Co., Inc. announced that construction of the First Baptist Church of Wakefield is moving forward on schedule.
On the evening of October 23, 2018, the First Baptist Church was struck by lightning and quickly became a 7-alarm fire that destroyed the historic 148-year-old building. The church worked with LDa Architecture & Interiors to create a design for the new building and broke ground in April, with completion expected by Easter 2024.
“The new church building will not only restore the architectural void left on the Wakefield Common when the old church burnt down, but it will also help create a hub for vibrant spiritual and community activity. New church buildings are rare in New England, and we believe we have a special story of God’s will for making this project a reality,” said Elaine Pappas, building team chair, First Baptist Church of Wakefield.
The new church is being built on land where the old church once stood and being designed to provide open and airy space in the fellowship hall and the sanctuary, the two largest rooms in the building. All of the spaces are designed for multi-purpose use for Sunday worship activities, and for weekday and evening meeting spaces for concerts, classes, clubs, conferences, activities, and general community events. There will be a large hospitality kitchen lounge for serving refreshments at services, activities, and events with dedicated and communal spaces for infants, toddlers, children, and teens.
Kim Barnett, principal at LDa, said, “Working with the church’s dedicated building team, we were inspired by the former church building and the history of New England churches on the green to design the new church. The building is meant to meet the needs of today’s congregation while aiming to attract the congregation of tomorrow. Keeping all the spaces as open to each other as possible was important to connect the fellowship and worship spaces within the building. This design also creates flexibility for the building to be used in many ways by the congregation and community.”