Two phases of construction, completed in 2003 and 2018, are key to the congregational and community ministry of Fulton Church.
Sunday services draw about 250 people from the outskirts of neighboring cities, including Janesville, Milton, Evansville, Stoughton and more, and Awana Club activities have engaged the congregation and community beyond, precipitating sustained growth since the 1960s.
Originally built in 1857, the country church in the Town of Fulton, Wisconsin, first hired NCI-Roberts Construction in 2003 to build a new sanctuary and create a library out of the original. Ten years later, they contacted the local church builder to help them address problems with their existing fellowship hall, built in the 1960s to invigorate a then-dwindling congregation. It had served its purpose but was worse for wear.
Together, the church and contractor determined new construction was the best choice, and after more than five years of fundraising and development, demolition and construction of a 15,000 square foot, two-story, multi-purpose replacement addition began.
Two unique circumstances required care from the general contractor.
First was its history. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and its one-to six-room cream brick school house built in 1965 now contains the church office.
Second, it is located just 15 feet from the Rock River.
NCI-Roberts demolished the existing addition, removed the foundation, excavated the building envelope, and installed soil erosion and rain gardens along the Rock River to manage storm water.
The first floor of the new church addition includes a welcoming narthex featuring ample natural light from the glass entry and the uncovered brick exterior of the attached, existing sanctuary. Just inside is a cafe-like space with tables and chairs, and an adjacent kitchen with a service counter ideal for serving coffee and pastries.
Beyond that is an open, two-story recreational space with gymnasium flooring used primarily for Awana Club, basketball and volleyball. Veneer oak ceiling liner spaced at 1 inch softens the acoustics. Complementary oak paneling protects the walls during activity, and LED lights in the wood beams are inserted for protection. A second, full kitchen is adjacent, with a large prep counter, two stoves, two ovens and a commercial dishwasher, perfect for large congregational and community gatherings.
The lower level of the addition contains a youth room, multipurpose game room/classroom, several dedicated classrooms and storage space.
The combination of masonry brick, smart and vinyl siding of the church addition complement the Cooksville red and local tan brick and limestone of the existing structure. The covered front entry ceiling is shiplap oak. The shape of the addition’s second floor windows match those in the sanctuary, and the existing stained glass window was preserved and incorporated into the new structure.
The timing of construction completion invigorated Christmas 2017 and Easter 2018 celebrations. With the new church addition, Fulton Church is now 25,000 square feet, and its congregational and community life activities have spread out and multiplied to take full advantage. The gymnasium space is consistently used on weekdays and often rented.
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