Dan Weiland, president of the Preservation Association, plans to help raise funds for the restoration process through a campaign the association has titled “A Divine Intervention! The Restoration of the Old Lutheran Church”
The church was purchased by the Preservation Association with the intent of making it a public facility to rent out for different occasions.
Weiland said the church had been of the Lutheran denomination and was built in the late 1880s with major additions such as a pipe organ that came later.
He called the church one of the best examples of Victorian stick style architecture in Franklin, but he said it needs major renovations to be functional.
“It’s in dire shape,” he said. “The damage that has occurred to the building is from a lack of maintenance and a lack of gutters on the building so we want to do a full restoration.”
The restoration effort would involve the installation of a new roof, new siding, interior work, restoration of the stained-glass windows and the replacement of the wooden doors in the front of the chapel.
Weiland said the future holds many possibilities for the structure.
Initial plans would see the Preservation Association renting the facility for weddings, showers, parties, art events, music and other community events.
“For now there will be three different social halls with the main sanctuary being the largest one and there’s two other, small social halls that can be rented out,” Weiland said.
Weiland said the largest of the social halls, the main sanctuary of the church, would be ideal for local concerts and large gatherings.
In the future, he said the Preservation Association could move its offices and board room into the building once it is restored.
Further down the line, Weiland speculated the association would like to see a museum in Franklin.
“That’s something that’s long term and has to be discussed and finalized,” he said.
The first major event the Preservation Association plans to hold is a “red carpet fundraiser” from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday at Weiland’s house at 1 Park Way in Franklin. There will be music, snacks and drinks, Weiland said.
Tickets are $20 per person or $35 a couple. Attendees will be able to see literature on various historical restoration projects around the city.
Weiland said the restoration will be divided up into smaller efforts so donors can contribute to the replacement of a door or the restoration of a stained-glass window.
Dividing it up into smaller bites will allow the Preservation Association to create specific plaques for each part of the restoration that lists donors and volunteers.
In the meantime, the Preservation Association has already started restoration efforts.
“We started to clean out the basement. We did some minor demolition inside and we cleaned out a lot of the debris that was in there,” Weiland said.
Friday’s fundraiser looks to raise enough money to get utilities up and running, at the old church, as well as exit lighting and functioning bathrooms, so workers can begin the process of restoration. The effort also looks to expand Franklin Preservation’s outreach with social media and an increased web presence.
Weiland will also open his house up the day after Christmas, when he will have more than a dozen Christmas trees decorated with vintage ornaments. Attendees can take a toy or food as a donation for a tour of the house.
