Demolition Crews Start Tearing Down Historic Waterville Church

Waterville - Demolition crews have started tearing down a church that's stood in Waterville for more than a century. The historic church will be replaced with low income senior housing.

Crews have started taking the roof off of the St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church on Elm Street.

We're told a shortage of priests and high maintenance costs were behind the decision to try to sell the church and eventually tear it down.

Maintenance costs are roughly $50,000 a year according to folks on the scene today.

Although the church hasn't been used in years, there are people in central Maine who are sad to see it go.

"It's part of the family. It's tough to see it go," said Lee Danley of Danley Demolition, the team tearing down the old church. "One of the problems the diocese has is to try and explain to people that they just can't keep them up. You know nobody is using this church. Nobody has used it in years. Same as the other ones I've been looking at. They've been vacant for years. You just can't keep them. You have to move on."

The demolition crew tells us the steeple will come down later this week and the church and the surrounding buildings should all be down in about a month.

The low income senior housing project is scheduled to be finished next summer.

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Demolition Crews Start Tearing Down Historic Waterville Church