Chestnut Level Presbyterian Church (CLPC), 1068 Chestnut Level Road, Quarryville, will hold a fundraising event on Sunday, July 9, at 2 p.m. The fundraiser will feature presentations on the history of the church, along with live music and Scottish refreshments. Tickets are available to purchase at a set price by calling 717-548-2863 or emailing the church at office@chestnutlevel.org.

The event will include a talk from Nancy Groff, a member of CLPC and author of "Watt & Shand." The book follows the story of Peter Watt and James Shand, Scottish merchants who opened the Watt & Shand department store in Lancaster city in the building that is now the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square.

Groff always had an interest in the duo's history, as Watt was her grandfather. While she was in college studying nursing, Groff took a sociology course as an elective. For one of her assignments, she needed to write a seven-page paper on her family's history, and she started the process of chronicling Watt's story. Groff's extended family encouraged her to keep the paper and expand on it, and many of her classmates reached out for more information. She decided to turn her work into "Watt & Shand," which was published in 2022. Groff will sell copies of her book and posters of the church's historic building during the event, and she will donate a percentage of the proceeds to CLPC.

The proceeds of the event will be used to pay for several projects that the church has completed to repair or improve the building over the years. CLPC was first founded in 1711, and it has required extensive work to incorporate and maintain the comforts of 21st-century accommodations. In recent years, the church has repainted worn areas of the building and added heating and air-conditioning systems and a bathroom. Many of the projects have also restored parts of the structure that had become dilapidated.

CLPC was assisted with the renovations by the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County (HPTLC). HPTLC is a nonprofit organization that oversees construction projects to maintain buildings of historical significance throughout the county. HPTLC will offer a short presentation during the fundraiser.

In May, CLPC received the C. Emlen Urban Award from HPTLC, which gives out the award annually to those who have completed restoration projects while staying true to the original architect's vision. The award is named after an architect who was responsible for dozens of historic buildings in Lancaster, including the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square. HPLTC is headquartered in the former home of Andrew Elliott, a close friend of Thomas Jefferson and the man who trained Lewis and Clark to survey.

For more information about the fundraiser or CLPC's restoration project, visit http://www.chestnutlevel.org.