For the New London community, the height of First Congregational Church’s Union Street steeple was a testament to the city’s resilience and storied past.
Founded in New London in the 1600s, church and state were not separated in New England, and all residents’ taxes were paid to the church.
“You could go to another church, but you did. [still] Support the Congregational Church. That was dominant. That was very powerful,” said Tom Kauser, New London Landmarks board president.
In 1851, the First Congregational Church was established on the Union Street site. Its towering size meant the city’s growing wealth as a whaling center. In its heyday, crowds of believers filled the mansion-lined streets of St. Paul on Sunday afternoons.
The church was also important to citizens. The bell on its steeple was used to call people to meetings and to sound fire alarms.
Today, its spire no longer covers the New London skyline. On January 25, the structure collapsed and suffered permanent damage. The remains of the masonry remain on the Union Street property more than a month later.
“It was an important symbol of the history of our city. The first congregation[al]As the population grew and became wealthier…those grand structures were built,” said New London Mayor Michael Passero. “With the collapse of the church, we lost an important part of our history.”
The cause of the collapse is still unknown. But The Day columnist David Collins first revealed that warnings about the spire’s structural integrity were issued by the church’s architect, Lepold Eidlitz.
“He wrote a letter to the congregation and said, ‘Look, the contractor is doing it all wrong,'” Kauser said.
Over time, the church’s membership gradually declined. Its size was too large for the declining number of visitors, and building maintenance became an even bigger task. In 2015, First Congregational sold the building to Energizing Heaven Ministries for $250,000, according to city officials.
According to The Day, the mortgage is privately held by First Congregational and requires Engaging Haven to spend at least $25,000 a year in maintenance fees and maintain insurance. It is said that he was being beaten.
However, the city placed a lien on the church for $240,000, including the cost of cleaning the property. After the collapse, hundreds of city workers worked overtime to ensure the site was safe to demolish.
Passero said as of March 1, the church had not communicated how it planned to repay the lien. Limited church communication has raised citywide concerns that Heavenly Ministries is not properly insured and First Congregation is not maintaining mortgage guarantees. .
Neither First Congregational Ministries nor Engage Heaven Ministries responded to interview requests from Connecticut Public Radio.
“There will come a time when we will have to deal with this fiscal issue…If the fiscal issue is not resolved, there are tools in place to protect the city,” said Felix Reyes, director of economic development and planning. said. city of new london.
Despite the losses, Passero believes New London is on an upward trajectory. A recent investment from High Tide Capital has revitalized parts of the city’s downtown. With the influx of jobs from Electric Boat, new luxury apartment buildings are beginning to permeate the city.
“It’s a memory, but it’s a memory that will be preserved. And hopefully that parcel in the heart of our downtown will be redeveloped to honor its location,” Passero said. said. “Never in my lifetime have there been so much interest from developers and investors and historic buildings downtown.”