1803 Southold Church Receives Sacred Sites Grant

SOUTHOLD, NY — A church in Southold that dates back to 1803 has received grant funding to help usher the iconic structure into the future.

The New York Landmarks Conservancy has announced 16 "Sacred Sites" grants, totaling $241,500, awarded to historic religious properties throughout New York State, including a $3,500 Sacred Sites grant to First Presbyterian Church in Southold — to help fund a tower conditions assessment.

The First Presbyterian Church of Southold, which was first built in 1803, is flanked by a historic burial ground. The meeting-house style, wood-frame, five-bay, gable roofed church with flanking pilasters and a central, three-stage tower with an octagonal, open belfry, a release from the Conservancy said.

The congregation was formally established in 1784 as “First Church.” The First Presbyterian Church serves about 1,100 people annually through various community activities.

The Conservancy’s Sacred Sites program has assisted more than 750 congregations across New York State since its founding in 1986, with grants totaling over $12 million. The grants have contributed to more than $740 million in total restoration projects, the release said.

The program is one of a few in the country aiding landmark religious institutions and the only one assisting an entire state, the Conservancy said.

“Religious buildings anchor communities providing a sense of history and place. They are among our most important landmarks,” said Peg Breen, president of the New York Landmarks Conservancy. “Preserving them also allows congregations to continue to offer social service and cultural programs to their communities.”

The New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Long Island Sacred Sites grants are made possible with support from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation.

The New York Landmarks Conservancy has led the effort to preserve and protect New York City’s architectural legacy for 45 years.