The First Universalist Church in Yarmouth will hold an open house/steeple preservation workshop on Saturday from 3-5 p.m. at the historic church at 97 Main St.

There will be a reception and steeple “tours” after the workshop. Suggested donation is $10.

The church’s 45-foot wooden steeple was removed last year so it could be restored. It was built in the 1860s and was in such poor shape it could have blown over in a hurricane.

A town landmark since the Civil War era, the steeple is in storage as the congregation raises the $330,000 needed to complete the restoration in several phases. More than $200,000 has been raised, and the goal is to return the restored steeple to the church next spring.

The congregation’s “Save the Steeple” story will be shared at the workshop. Discussion will include such topics as the ethical dilemma of allocating financial resources to restoring the historic building versus the church’s social justice efforts, as well as how to do community fundraising. Church members hope their story will inspire other churches or organizations that are undertaking similar projects and wondering “How on earth can we do this?”

The workshop is sponsored by Yarmouth Arts. For more information call 846-4148 or visit www.savethesteeple.org.