Historic Easton, Inc. and the Trustees of Asbury United Methodist Church are delighted to announce that 2016 begins the construction phase of an exciting program to rehabilitate the prominent, historically significant church structure for the next 100 years. After many years of planning, restoration work at Asbury United Methodist Church at 18 S. Higgins Street is about to begin. Plans for the first phase of the restoration work were approved on January 11, 2016 by the Easton Historic District Commission. Initiated by Historic Easton, Inc. and the Trustees of Asbury Church, rehabilitation of the prominent, historically significant church structure is funded by a grant from the Maryland Commission on African-American History and Culture. The Maryland Historical Trust oversees the grant.
After the request for contractor bids was announced at the end of last year, the Board of Historic Easton, Inc. accepted a bid from Yerkes Construction of Chestertown MD. The Restoration and stabilization of the steeple will begin this quarter. Yerkes Construction is the general contractor with Easton-based Encore Sustainable Design, LLC as the architect. The initial stabilization will address the steeple roofing, belfry floor, steeple structural repairs, steeple trim repairs, round window repair, and a new front door. This restoration project will be the first highly-visible capital investment in support of the larger Hill Community Project Small Area Plan, an effort to revitalize the neighborhood based on community input. The plan is for the 16 homes to eventually be sold and attract people who wish to own and live in the home, rather than rent it to a tenant.
Restoration of this culturally and historically significant structure complements the past five years of archaeological research that has been conducted within The Hill neighborhood. Archeologists with the University of Maryland have been digging in Easton’s The Hill community since about 2010 to uncover the community’s history and heritage. These projects provide a foundation for documenting and preserving the history of the African American experience in Talbot County and may be used as leverage by the Town of Easton for additional grant-funded projects.
As one of the central anchors of The Hill community, Asbury United Methodist Church frequently opens its doors to visitors, in addition to its ongoing church services and social programs. Through these activities, the congregation of Asbury continues its engagement in the civic life of Easton and its residents, a legacy that dates back to the early 19th century.
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