St. Martin's Church serves as a museum, open to the public on a regular basis. It is a valuable resource in promoting the county's historical and cultural heritage through educational programs and tourism. Therefore, the museum will open during many county historical open houses and museum days to promote our mission of preservation and education. It is a not for profit community educational center for the purpose of preserving the heritage of the site. Erected for Worcester Parish between 1756 and 1763, this church was the second building to house the St. Martin's congregation at this site. Although land on which it was built was not officially purchased until July 1756, records indicate there was a chapel of ease for All Hallows Parish at this location as early as 1703, when planter Roger Thomas, directed in his will that his body be buried "in the Church Yard at St. Martin's." Little is known about this first chapel other than it was a frame structure sold at the time the new church was built. The records of All Hallows Parish no longer exist. In 1744 an act of provincial assembly created Worcester Parish, separating it from All Hallows. The southern boundary was described as "beginning at the mouth of Newport Creek running out of the sea with the said creek and a branch thereof to the main road at a place called Buckingham." Four years later another act was passed enabling the Worcester County justices to levy a tax of 80,000 pounds of tobacco for the support of the new parish. On August 6, 1756, the vestry of Worcester Parish formally purchased two acres of a tract called "Vermin Drane" on which the first chapel stood with plans to rebuild on the same site. The vestry minutes of Worcester Parish record for Tuesday the 10th of July 1756 that "the Vestry agreed with James Johnson to Buld a Church forty foure foot square where the old Chapell stands for Eighty five thousand three hundred pound of Tobco." The construction process was spread over seven years with the church finally accepted by the vestry in 1763. Few changes have been made to the brick exterior since the mid-eighteenth century. The interior was somewhat modified during the mid-nineteenth century when the raised-panel pew partitions were rearranged as well as the altar modified in the wake of an early nineteenth century movement to revitalize the Episcopal Church statewide. Attendance at St. Martins dwindled and weekly services were eventually replaced with yearly commemorative gatherings in the late nineteenth century . The church was eventually closed and only used sporadically after a new church was erected in Berlin in 1824. By the mid-1970's, it was clear that St. Martins Church had fallen into serious state of disrepair. Annual visitations and public tours were discontinued because of the risk imposed by the deteriorated condition of the building. The St. Martins' Church Foundation was established in 1993 and quickly organized the restoration project into two phases: Phase 1- Structural Repair and Exterior Restoration and Phase II - Interior Restoration. The Foundation Board of Trustees selected award winning Architectural Historian, Paul Baker Touart, to guide this project. Phase I was completed in the summer of 1997. Having completed the restoration of the building's exterior, the foundation then embarked on the second phase. Part one of this phase, the restoration of the vaulted ceiling, has been completed. Efforts are now concentrated on Part 2 - Phase II, which is currently underway. The simple pine box pews and majestic raised pulpit have been restored and are reminiscent of the 18th century. Like the exterior work, the interior restoration continues to be a demanding task that will take place over the next several years. The St. Martin's Church Foundation proposes to install a septic system on the property. The purpose of this project is to allow the construction of two comfort stations next to the visitor center. The center is still in the process of being developed. The foundation depends upon rental fees and visitors for its income. Since there are a number of needs, this income can be significant and will help to further restore the building. However, without the comfort stations and the visitor center, visitation will not be sufficient to cover the costs of the renovation. Significant insect infestation has been found throughout the structure and presents a situation of the utmost urgency. Extensive work will be needed on the plaster walls as well as a program of preventive maintenance to avoid future infestations. For a project of this magnitude, it is necessary to hire an expert to undertake a planning process. This will include the following work: • Updated assessment of the problem • Preparation of bidding documents • Supervision of the bidding process This work will support the continued restoration of the church through additional consistent income. In its current state, it is not maximized for use for events or tours. At this point, it is necessary to find sources of income to ensure that the church is maintained to the highest standards. Due to its location in a beautiful natural setting, it would be a desirable location for receptions and other social events. With this work, historic St. Martin's can ramp up its efforts to raise additional funds and ensure that the church will be preserved and well-maintained far into the future.