Heroic efforts transform rectory
by Marian Lucas Jefferies
The rectory in Upham, aka The Parsonage, is a grand and elegant home once again, thanks to the faith, skills and determination of the people of this wonderful parish and community. In thanksgiving for the ministry of the saw and hammer, we gathered there on Sunday afternoon, April 6, to bless this stately white home that has watched over the community for 162 years. It was also an open house occasion, with lots of food, fun and fellowship.
When I was appointed to the Parish of Upham as one of two priests-in-charge of three parishes last August, the rectory had been vacant for a while and let’s say “she was no longer in her prime.” The plaster cracked and bulged in spots, the wallpaper was old and faded and a single bare bulb hung from the ceiling of the main hall. The cushion floor was worn and cracked and I suspect the 25-year-old carpets were hiding a multitude of moldy sins because one of the parishioners showing me around suffered an asthma attack when she had been inside the house for a while.
The parish decided to put the grande dame up for sale, all that was required was to obtain permission from the diocese to put it on the market.
Just days before last Christmas, one of the parishioners conducting a regular inspection of the empty property discovered a pipe on the second floor had burst. That night, with flash lights in hand, the wardens, a vestry member and I assessed the damage. The kitchen ceiling was on the floor, the hardwood in the dining room was warped and all the ceilings and walls on the main floor were covered in frost. The basement and furnace were flooded. None of the damage was covered by insurance.
Upgrades to the property over the past 20 years –– roof, full basement, main floor windows, siding, and oil tank –– were about the only assets the property could boast after the flood.
Although the decision to sell the rectory was unanimous, there were also some sad second thoughts about losing a property that at one time was at the centre of the community. A property where the rector often had a cow in the barn out back … people learned to skate and play hockey on the pond … there were sliding parties in the winter and church picnics in the summer … there were dinner parties, flower gardens and veggie gardens too.
The day we received approval from the diocese to put the house on the market, the shared ministry of the parish was discontinued. Soon after, I as appointed to the parish as priest-in-charge on a two-thirds time basis. The people of Upham were given four weeks notice and instructions to have the house in order for my arrival March 16.
A miracle followed.
More than 20 people jumped to action. A highly skilled volunteer, construction crew, coordinated by Gordon Allaby, worked day and night, Monday to Friday. They installed new drywall and flooring in most of the house, a bathroom upstairs, light fixtures, and countertops. They re-finished the hardwood in the living and dining rooms as well as on the stairway, and they refinished the kitchen cupboards too. On Saturdays as many as 15 people appeared on the scene just to paint. Sandwiches and sweets appeared for lunch. Cleaning crews also appeared when they were needed, but most importantly, a very special energy appeared … an energy that grew and continues to grow.
Construction wasn't complete on moving day, but there was enough done that I could move in.
The work continued. Scraps of wood, bedsprings, old skis and a mouse graveyard were removed from the basement, which is now clean (I hesitate to say sparkling). As I write this, two more bedrooms are being dry walled, there are plans to move the garage, till a veggie garden and thin the trees to improve the already breath-taking view of the mountain I enjoy from the window of my study. I have dreams of renovating the servant's quarters some day, but perhaps this isn’t the time to mention it.
So we held the open house to show the world what the ministry of the saw and hammer can do and how that kind of work can re-vitalize a parish and a community. That day the light danced on the refinished hardwood floors and on the new walls painted soft, fresh colours. That day the summer kitchen, that once connected the house to the long-gone barn, emerged as my music room
Yes, we now suffer the sin of pride, but we also enjoy the gift of confidence. We know there is a lot more our small rural parish can do to survive and thrive!
The Rev. Marian Lucas Jefferies is priest-in-charge of the parish of Upham.
Diocesan Communications
15 April 2008
