The First Congregational Church of Spencer has a new home more than two and a half years after a massive fire destroyed the historic church and almost everything in it. Spectrum News NECN's Meghan Parsons spoke with members of the church, the architect behind the new design and the construction company who completed the project.

Whether it's a member of the congregation or someone that drives by, the new building on the Main Street hill is the talk of the town in Spencer.

Daniel Lauring is a part of the construction team, "They couldn’t wait to get back to this church. It’s was such an old building everyone would come asking questions. You could just tell everyone was excited to see something going back."

After a devastating fire claimed their beloved building in June of 2023, the First Congregational Church of Spencer finally has a new home.

Amanda Normandin from A. Normandin Design said the steeple is the focal point of the new church, "The first thing that fell was the steeple. So I thought okay, that has to be the center of the whole design. So as you come into the church and you look up, you have this beautiful sky light that brings the light in and at night, it shines the light out."

The new structure took about a year to construct. The building looks less like a church and more like a local event center. It's exactly what the congregation wanted. Church member Jenny Anderson, "It’s not the same. Its different. Its more, respectful, its smaller because we don’t need a big glamorous church on the hill. Do we really need a big huge steeple?"

While the new church is different in many ways, it was important the inside of the new church still honored what came before it as portions of the original church were incorporated into the new one including the original weathervane which flew off the steeple during hte fire and was found in a nearby tree.

The new church will now greet members as they arrive for Sunday service or visitors who stop by for a meeting. It serves as a reminder of the past in this new chapter of unity.

The church is still unsure of an official re-opening date when they will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony.