The Lebanon Planning Board Monday night approved plans for a new building to replace a historic church destroyed by fire last year.
Lebanon’s First Baptist church dated back to the mid 1800s. A fire just after Christmas last year gutted the building. A local man who had been part of the church community was charged with starting the blaze.
Ever since, the congregation has been meeting at the Lebanon Middle School and working on plans to rebuild.
Designs for the new church are similar to the original, including its iconic, white steeple. But it will also get some modern upgrades, like a bigger lobby where people can gather outside the main sanctuary.
The project still needs a building permit from the city before construction can begin in the fall or next spring.