The stones beneath the First Baptist Church in Lower Gilmanton needed to be removed one by one and numbered so each one could go back in the exact same place.

“It wasn’t level any longer because of the foundation and the rocks shifting so it had to be jacked up to be leveled before they could work on the belfry,” said Sue Kelley Leclerc, whose family moved to town in 1802. “Now when you stand in the middle of the church, everything is nice and neat and level.”

As they started to work on the foundation, they had to remove sections of siding to make sure it was protected.

“The tin cladding had to be taken out in several areas when they were jacking it to avoid bending it and ruining it,” said Paula Gilman, whose seventh great-grandfather gifted the land where the church was built in 1842. “So it was all taken out. It was numbered sequentially. And then it was put back in.”

The belfry needed to be shored up and reinforced to support the oversized bell, which was once in danger of falling. The bell rings again, loud and clear.

That’s all part of the painstaking process of preserving a historic building. It takes perseverance, knowledge, organization, hard work and usually a good deal of grant funding that comes with some very specific strings attached to make sure everything stays as close to original as possible.

Bringing back old buildings to modern use can provide different challenges since modern building codes require a level of detail and safety that wasn’t necessary centuries ago. For example, the chimneys at the church couldn’t be used until they were brought up to code.

“The chimneys were all relined,” Leclerc said. “We also had to raise them because they weren’t high enough. So they needed to be raised.”

Bricks were added to the chimney tops and new caps to mimic the old ones were put in place. Now the wood stoves can safely be lit on a cold December morning to make sure the church is warm enough for an afternoon Christmas celebration.

That was all part of the first phase of work at the white church at the junction of Stage and Province roads. In 2021, the church raised $81,600, which unlocked an equal amount of matching funds. Phase 1 concluded in 2022, but it was clear more work needed to be done. They’re now fundraising $40,000 for Phase II to complete the exterior restoration.

After years of raising money to rehab the church and the Kelley Corner Schoolhouse in town before that, Gilman, Leclerc and church treasurer Pat Hill were happy to share how they did it so others can replicate their success elsewhere.

“You have to have passion, you have to have a reason why you can drive by and say that it’s so important that we keep that building, but you need to have a reason why,” Leclerc said.

It often takes a drastic event – like the bad roof leak that left water on all the pews at the church or the threat of selling the school – to get started.

The women created their own step-by-step playbook for others to follow.

Buildings need to be listed on the state or national register of historic places. Then an assessment of the condition of the building needs to be done, which costs money. The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance offers grants to cover portions of the assessment costs, but this is where fundraising often begins.

With an assessment in hand, the scope of preservation can be identified, like focusing on the roof or the foundation or another high priority to stabilize the structure.

Grant applications must be filed and matching amounts of funds raised. One key is being able to show the public the progress toward a fundraising goal. Gilmanton did it with a giant thermometer that increased for every $2,000 raised.

Before you know it, $4,000 turns into $16,000. A few months later, $16,000 is closer to $40,000. During COVID they raised $100,000 without any physical fundraisers.

They learned to ask contractors if they were willing to donate any in-kind services towards the project. Everyone who worked on the project stepped up, they said.

Hopeful preservationists should be prepared to apply to the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. A bonus would be to get on the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance’s Seven to Save List, which brings more attention.

They advise to have a good relationship with the media to get the word out.

A few key things need to be done along the way, like photographing everything and keeping all records no matter how small. Expenses and invoices need to be documented and cataloged online in a spreadsheet. Copies of all grant applications should be printed and kept in laminated sleeves in three-ring binders. It might not seem like it in the moment, but what’s happening today is part of the historical record for the future.

Their mantra is to stay positive no matter what happens and to be exuberant.

“Let everyone know what you are doing and the progress you have made,” they advise.

They must also follow their own rules. The church needs another $40,000 to finish the work they started in 2018. That means the big thermometers that measure how much money has been raised are out in front of the church again.

Hill, the treasurer, is the newcomer to the preservation group, but has taken to the effort of fixing something old so it can be enjoyed by future generations.

“It’s amazing to spend weekends scraping and painting and sanding and doing whatever needs to be done. And we got our husbands in the middle of it too,” she said. “I really love the people that are involved in these projects. The goal here is to have these incredible projects for the kids.”