A Strikingly Nice Church

Article tools

E-mail

Share
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
- Facebook
- Fark
- Google
- Newsvine
- Reddit
- Yahoo

The adage about lightning never striking the same place twice is certainly untrue for the Freeport United Methodist Church, which has been struck by lightning at least two times since the current building was dedicated on Pine Street in 1891.

The Pine Street building, said to be the oldest public building in Freeport, was actually the third for the church. Originally, Methodists attended classes in a private home, but, in 1833, they bought a small wooden store on the west side of Hempstead-Babylon Turnpike. In 1859, the congregation moved to a building on Main Street. The cornerstone for the current church was put down in 1890, and the building was dedicated the next year.

According to Robert Raynor, chairman of the church council, the building underwent substantial renovations in 1927, when the front porch was removed and other changes made. In the 1950s, after being struck by lightning, the shape of the steeple was changed. The building was also struck by lightning in the last decade, Raynor said.