Just as they have for scores and generations of Sundays, the congregation of the First Universalist of Southold gathered at the bend — but this Sunday, they came together to bid the glorious structure farewell.
The church, long woven into the fabric of Southold’s rich history, was ravaged by fire in March.
And on Sunday, congregants and the community shared memories and renewed a pledge to rise again — demolition will commence this week, church officials said, and plans are forming to rebuild.
Members of the faith community united to offer strength and hope. Fr. Peter Garry of St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, across Main Road, offered an invocation and said his “heart hurt, and possibly broke” on the night of the tragic fire. But, he reminded those present to hope.
Dr. Donald McKinney, minister emeritus of the First Unitarian Society of Brooklyn spoke eloquently of the church’s “wonderful windows”, and said a principle of the Unitarian Church is took look out the windows to the world beyond and see the problems and challenges facing the world. “I see God everywhere that I see nature at work,” he said, quoting Walt Whitman. “That is the basis, I think, for our future.”
Remembering the night of the fire, Rev. Peter Kelley of the First Presbyterian Church of Southold said he was away with his wife when he heard the news. Remembering “these bright, crisp walls and windows”, Kelley said the church played an important role in his own life; the funeral of his beloved mother-in-law took place at First Universalist, he said.
In ancient texts, Kelley said Jeremiah, during times of tumult and siege, purchased property and buried the deed. “There is devastation now, but you will have a future,” he said, drawing parallels between past and present. “You are garnering hope for your your future, to rise from the ashes.” Faith, he added, remains, real and vibrant.
He then read a poem comparing the fire to a cancer and blessed the congregation, saying they remained in “all of our hearts.”
Rev. Garry compared the fire to his experiences after 9/11. “It was surreal,” he said. Watching the fire consume the beautiful old church, those present to witness the flames devour the structure were in disbelief, he said.
He said he and his congregation were humbled to help in whatever way they could and pledged to continue to offer their support in the months to come.
Next, members of the community reflected on what First Universalist has meant in their lives. Louise Blackburn described what the church meant to her mother and grandmother and said, as the child of an alcoholic, the church stood as a bastion of stability during her darkest hours.
Melissa Pond said as a teen growing up, “I was pretty weird. This was the one place I didn’t feel weird.” Of the parishioners as close as family, she said, “It’s not the church. It’s the people.”
When his wife died, Charles Michel, who lives just down the street, said First Universalist was where he held her service. “The church,” he said, “had a dignity, a Norman Rockwell-ian charm.” When the couple first moved to Southold, the church was a haven for their young family, with three children. On the bend, the church opened its doors to all. “They didn’t care what you did or didn’t believe in,” he said. “They were accepting, welcoming.”
And, he said, “I hope they get this thing rebuilt. Otherwise, I’ll have to postpone my demise. I hope to see it rise like a phoenix again.”
First Universalist Church of Southold’s Pastor Jeff Gamblee, giving his farewell thoughts, said, as the community reflected on wreckage, he decided to quote Yoda: “The memories are strong in that one.”
Drawing the service to a close after leading those in attendance in a litany, he said, “We bid the building at the bend farewell. Let us pledge to move forward.”
As the crowd stood talking and sharing memories, congregant Alan Stewart said the church, which has stood since 1860, was erected when Abraham Lincoln was alive, before he was ever president, and 25 years before the Civil War. He said he hoped some way to protect surviving antiquities was discovered. Gazing at the rubble, he said, “I’m really going to miss this church.”
