Whalers Rally For New Steeple

The Steeple - what! - the Steeple -

Don't say that it has gone!

Thus spoke the village people

With voice and face forlorn.

Oh, lovely, lofty steeple,

We loved thee from the heart -

Thy curious construction,

Thy myriad types of art!"

From "The Steeple"

By Annie Cooper Boyd

Sag Harbor, 1938

When the Rev. Joseph Copp preached the dedication sermon at Sag Harbor's Old Whalers Church on May 16, 1844, 1,000 worshipers listened.

More than 153 years later, on Saturday evening, the church's congregation of 100 families and a 15-member committee hope at least that many will attend another milestone there - the kickoff to a $3 million campaign to rebuild its 187-foot steeple and renovate the building.

This time, the actress Claire Bloom will read from early accounts of life in Sag Harbor, Judy Carmichael of Sag Harbor, a stride pianist, will perform, and a new chapter in the venerable church's history will begin. The event will start at 6:30 p.m.

To Raise $1 Million

More than craftsmanship may be involved as the historic Sag Harbor church is brought up to date - by the millennium, church officials predict. Indeed, the price tag on the steeple alone is about $1 million.

Aware from the beginning that the project would be costly, the renovation committee has been pursuing some decidedly nontraditional fund sources.

"We are talking with Bell Atlantic-NYNEX, AT&T, and Next Wave, another telecommunications company," said Larry Carlson, the campaign's president, about putting a cellular phone antenna inside the steeple.

Need For Towers

"It makes total sense," said Mr. Carlson, a Bridgehampton resident and member of the congregation who is an executive vice president at Time Warner for Home Box Office.

Mr. Carlson was referring to the fact that telecommunications companies have expressed interest in improving cell phone service here but have had generally negative reactions.

"There is concern about aesthetics," Mr. Carlson said.

Mr. Carlson declined to speculate on how much the church might charge for bringing an antenna heavenward, but Leonard Mayhew, a development consultant in Sag Harbor and the campaign spokesman, said, "Why not ask $1 million?"

List To Leeward

Mr. Carlson said the idea to put an antenna inside the steeple was not unique to Sag Harbor. They are being installed in such places as the tops of lighting fixtures in football stadiums, and he knew of at least one in a church in New England, he said.

Observers familiar with tax law said that, while any financial gains the church realized from commercial leases would be subject to taxation, the project would in no way interfere with the church's nonprofit status.

Sag Harbor's 153-year-old Presbyterian landmark has fascinated chroniclers for decades and engaged the support of luminaries in the past. Margaret (Mrs. Russell) Sage, a Sag Harbor philanthropist, had the original steeple repaired in 1910.

The steeple, a welcome sight to returning seamen, had been damaged in an 1898 blizzard, which, according to a newspaper report, caused it to "list to leeward." Mrs. Sage made a then-generous $5,500 donation to have it set right, but the effort was unsuccessful, as it was fastened to its foundation at only one corner.

Fell In Hurricane

Its fall was one of the 1938 Hurricane's dramatic effects. It was lifted from the building, according to reports, "like an errant umbrella," and crashed to the ground beside the church, its bell, some said, still tolling.

The Old Whalers Church was designed by the renowned New York architect Minard Lafever and completed in 1844, during the heyday of Sag Harbor's whaling industry, when it boasted a fleet of 62 ships. Paid for almost entirely from the sea, the structure cost $17,000 to build, plus $2,000 for its property.

The exterior is considered one of America's finest examples of Egyptian Revival architecture; its Greek Revival interior boasts a pulpit flanked by two 50-foot Corinthian columns rising to a coffered ceiling. Its organ, installed in 1845, is the oldest working organ in a Long Island church. The church is one of only 200 structures in New York State with national historic landmark status, obtained in 1994.

Earlier Donations

The campaign to renovate the building began after Randy Croxton of Sag Harbor, a New York architect, completed a structure report on the building in connection with its application for landmark status. The congregation subsequently raised roughly $350,000, $50,000 of it in the form of a grant from the State Department of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.

About half that amount has been spent. The projects have included reconstruction of the ceiling, roof improvements, asbestos removal, and repair of the heating system, facade, and steps.

Renewal

Because the church also serves "a community function," said Mr. Carlson, a committee outside the church was organized as the "Whalers' Landmark Restoration Campaign," a nonprofit organization, to seek donations. Its members are diverse in demographics and religious background. The committee has identified about 3,000 potential donors, who soon will be receiving letters.

The Rev. Christine Grimbol, who has been the church's pastor for the past decade, is credited with doubling the church's membership during her tenure, and especially with attracting young people.

Unique Construction

Renovation of the church's Sunday school classrooms, repair of its colored-glass windows, and a complete paint job are among the priorities, said Mr. Mayhew. A second-floor gallery to house historic documents, and, among other treasures, the weathervane from the original steeple, also is planned.

The steeple's construction was unique. Its three tapering sections resembled an extended telescope, with each of the sections smaller than the one beneath it. Its reconstruction is to be the final stage of the project.

Jason Epstein and Elizabeth Barlow, in their book "East Hampton: A History and Guide," described it well.

"The lowest section was an octo gonal shaft in the style of Christopher Wren, surrounded by eight Corinthian columns. Four clocks were built into its pediment."

"The second section was a truncated paneled cone, decorated with Phoenician swastikas, a symbol of good luck. At the top was a towering pagoda with fluttering eaves."

At Saturday's open house Mr. Croxton will lead a tour of the building and refreshments donated by Sag Harbor businesses will be served. The free event is expected to last no longer than an hour.