By Mary Cole, Christ Church, Smithfield
After two years of work to save Christ Church, Smithfield, the first
phase will soon be complete. The old 1832 original Protestant Episcopal
Church, whose congregants came from Historic St. Luke's four miles down
the road, looked perfectly fine standing on the corners of Main and
Church Streets in Smithfield for almost 200 years. Little did the
congregation know what was lurking beneath the surface. Bill Egan, a
church member and civil engineer, prevented the unthinkable when he
discovered structural damage that could have led to the building's
collapse and loss of priceless stained-glass windows - not to mention
the threat to those who enjoyed the worship service, Sundays at Four
concert series, and town events that took place there. Because of the
urgent need for action, there was little time to prepare the financial
support system needed. After receiving an initial grant, a generous gift
by the C.W. Brinkley Family, drawing on the endowment given by the late
Helen Ann Ferguson and receiving a gift from Doris and Atwill Gwaltney,
Christ Church was able to move forward quickly. On August 2, the church
will hold its first worship service in this historic church since the
COVID-19 outbreak, though with masks, social distancing and other
re-gathering guidelines. Church members are taking a deep sigh of relief
that the structural issues have been resolved and the beautiful
stained-glass restoration will be finished soon. It is estimated that
there is still $250,000 needed to complete this challenging project. A
grant from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors of the
National Trust for Historic Preservation has just been received. Christ
Church greatly appreciates the grant assistance and the contributions
of many.
