Renovations making progress at Portland's Abyssinian Meeting House

PORTLAND (WGME) -- After more than two decades of planning, one of downtown Portland’s most historic buildings is getting a much-needed facelift.

The Abyssinian Meeting House was first open to Black people in 1827, and since then, it’s served as a meeting house, a school and even a stop on the Underground Railroad.

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The building has also survived two fires, and the restoration group believes this place is far too important not to bring to back to life.

“1827, throughout the country, slavery was in rue,” Meeting House Restoration Group Senior Vice President Leonard Cummings said. “Black communities say we need more basic buildings to establish our lives, because of its value to the community, its value to the church, its value to self being.”

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Portland residents are the ones saving the landmark.

Organizers say they've received more than $400,000 in donations during last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests.

“I think we can complete it,” Leonard Cummings said.

They’ve added new windows, floors, walls, doors and stairs.

Next, they hope to have the lower level finished by spring.

As soon as it opens, local groups say they'll be there.

“There’s a lot of justice, equality and inequality going on, and a lot of discussion around that, so a lot of groups would like to be able to come in here and use this building as an anchor and a jumping off point for their organization,” Meeting House Restoration Group President Pam Cummings said.

The upper level of the building is also under construction, the president of the meeting house restoration group hopes it will be done in a couple of years.

"We have a very strong development committee right now that also birthed out of this Black Lives Matter, where a lot of people in the community who stepped up who have fundraising experience have asked to come on board,” Pam Cummings said.

Both Pam and Leonard Cummings agree that faith is what got them to this point, and their faith will lead them to the finish line.