Mold infestation at First Unitarian sets back renovation after blaze 

By Kathleen A. Shaw

WORCESTER -- The Rev. Barbara Merritt, senior minister of First Unitarian Church, tells everyone they should insure their homes and buildings for replacement value. One never knows, she advises, when the mold will grow. She should know. Her church at 90 Main St. sustained heavy damage last year when fire broke out in the steeple area. Travelers Insurance paid the cost of renovation of the steeple and the sanctuary, which were heavily damaged by water used to fight the fire. And then more problems arose that added $800,000 to the bill. After work crews began renovating the sanctuary, several kinds of mold were found growing in the sanctuary walls and ceiling. The mold was found by a representative of the insurance company. Rev. Merritt said the insurance man may regret having found the mold, but it would have been worse if crews had had to go in and eradicate it once all the work was done. Water that went into the ceiling and down the walls during the fire-fighting efforts mixed with the cellulose-based insulation, providing a perfect breeding ground for mold, Rev. Merritt said. Crews had to pull up the floorboards and go into the ceiling and walls to eradicate all the mold. Because the church was fully insured, the insurance company had to foot the added cost, she said. None of the mold was considered toxic, she said. Rev. Merritt said that, based on personal experience, she changed her own homeowners insurance for a policy that covered full replacement and advises anyone who will listen to do the same. "You are never prepared for anything like this until it happens,'' she said. The mold-removal operation set the renovation back nine months, but the situation now is on track and the church is looking forward to reopening the newly renovated sanctuary in January. Plans are under way to hold a community Christmas Eve service again at Mechanics Hall. Church members and staff were devastated by the damage to the sanctuary and by the temporary displacement of church offices and programs. Services, weddings and funeral memorial services have been held in the church's Unity Hall. "We were fortunate that half the church was left in good shape,'' Rev. Merritt said. The staff and ministers received the services of crisis counselors in the week after the fire. ``It helped us tremendously,'' the pastor said. The staff and church members have adapted to the cramped quarters. She said as many as 12 youngsters are having religious education classes in one person's office. Some are meeting in closets, according to Rev. Merritt. Church officials are confident the situation will be back to normal within a few months. "We've learned to stay flexible," she said.