FARGO -- A local church -- nearly 100 years old -- can finally make needed repairs after flood damage from several years ago.

First Presbyterian Church can also make some much needed updates, officials say, due in part to a grant that targets revered buildings, the National Fund for Sacred Places.

They offer matching grants to historical places of worship. First Presbyterian Church in downtown Fargo fits the bill.

"It was completed on the eve of the great depression in 1929," Sarah Bigwood, pastor and head of staff at First Presbyterian Church, said.

Bigwood says they have big plans for the $175,000 matching grant. "We're going to be able to add electrical components to the front end of the church, which will allow us to actually add lighting, both exterior and interior lighting," Bigwood said.

She says the electrical updates will make the front entrance to the church safer and improve how it looks at night.

However, the biggest, and most expensive, change goes right to the foundation: the original limestone steps.

"A few years ago, we had some flooding on the front of the church and there was a drain that backed up and it kind of damaged some of the limestone that's out there on the front of the facade," Bigwood said.

Some of the steps are even crumbling, and thanks to the grant, they'll be able to return the church back to its former glory.

"It's a wonderful form of architecture in downtown Fargo and we love the building and the people who come here say that one of the things that draws them here initially is the architecture," Bigwood said.

The church is also a candidate for the National Register of Historic Places through the North Dakota Historical Society, she said. They're still in the process of raising funds to match the grant.

Construction for the project is due to begin in summer 2025 and expected to be completed before winter of the same year.