Our Story
If you're just discovering The Center, here's a quick recap of our backstory: a small, local community church had a vision to create a welcoming gathering space for all, leased a building on Main Street, invested years, savings, and a whole lot of elbow grease into fixing it up, and it's become something really special! Now we all have a chance to make sure it stays that way!
A few years ago, the New Hope church members sold their church building in order to restore and lease the tired and vacant storefront at 49 Main Street in downtown Taunton. Bit by bit, investing over $800k in savings, donations, and grants, it went through demolition, architectural design, safety and ADA compliance improvements, and restoration—uncovering tin ceilings, exposing 100 year-old brick walls, and turning a blighted space into a bright, welcoming home for the community, as well as a place for New Hope to gather as a church on Sunday mornings.
The Center on Main, Inc. was established in 2022 as a separate community nonprofit that hosts people, events, and gatherings for the whole city. It's become a thriving hub for downtown Taunton, seven days a week. And welcoming in Identity Coffee Co. to operate out of the Center's coffee bar space has been an amazing partnership that has enhanced and expanded the hospitality of The Center greatly.
The Center on Main is also a home to other local non-profits, such as Serve Home, Inc., a community service organization that provides free home repairs and hope to those in need.
The Center has always been leased, which means that every improvement that's been made has come with an asterisk: the space isn't permanent. However, with our current opportunity to purchase the building we can turn years of borrowed investment into a permanent home for the local community for years to come!
Will you help us make The Center on Main a permanent fixture in the landscape of downtown Taunton?
The Opportunity
$100,000
by June 2027
$30,000 raised · 30% of our $100,000 goal
This campaign is about more than purchasing a building—it's about preserving a place where our community can gather, connect, serve and belong. The Center on Main has become a welcoming home for community events, celebrations, classes, local organizations, a Cafe where friends and families can spend time together, a church for worship, and a base for nonprofits serving the area. Without a successful purchase, this location could be sold and repurposed although we've already invested so significantly. Your gift can help us secure its future so that 49 Main Street can remain a place for the community and used by the community. Your gift can provide stability for the future, and a permanent promise to all the neighbors and other organizations that operate out of our location and the many local businesses, co-workers, and organizations that already call this space home!
“A space for coffee, community, and connection — right in the heart of downtown Taunton.”
Will You Help Us Put Down Roots for Good?
Every gift moves us closer to owning 49 Main Street outright — and setting our sights on all the potential for its future!
Want more background before you give? Learn more about New Hope, The Center on Main, Identity Coffee Co., and Serve Home, Inc.