Event to showcase historic churches

Five churches on Long Island will be opened to the public May 19 and 20 as part of the statewide Sacred Sites Open House Weekend.

The weekend is run by the New York Landmark Conservancy, a nonprofit organization. Sacred Sites focuses on raising money for renovations to historic churches, said Ann-Isabel Friedman, director of Sacred Sites.

Friedman said the five churches on Long Island participating in the weekend are: St. Thomas Chapel in Amagansett; St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Yaphank; First Presbyterian Church of Sag Harbor, also known as the Old Whaler’s Church; and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and The United Methodist Church, both in Patchogue.

This is the second year Sacred Sites is hosting a weekend like this, Friedman said. Last year, 140 churches throughout the state took part. EverGreene Architectural Arts, based in New York City, is sponsoring the event.

Peg Breen, president of the conservancy, said in a news release that this is a great chance for New Yorkers to take in the state’s religious history.

“Nowhere in the United States is this better demonstrated than right here in New York with its rich diversity of religions and ecclesiastical buildings,” she said. “The open house weekend is a wonderful opportunity to truly be a tourist in your own town.”

Above: Larry Gay tends to the lawn of historic Old Whaler's Church, also known as the First Presbyterian Church, on Union Street in Sag Harbor. (Sept. 29, 1996)

 

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