The First United Methodist Church of Cazenovia is in the process of receiving a new roof, along with some necessary — although unexpected — building renovations along the way. The problem, however, is that the church congregation needs some assistance to pay for the cost of the work to the 141-year-old building.
“This is a big undertaking; the single-biggest thing we’ve done since I joined in 1980,” said Tom Long, chair of the church’s finance committee. “[But] if we don’t get the money, the church won’t stand under the roof.”
The First United Methodist Church of Cazenovia, as it currently exists at the corner of Lincklaen and Seminary streets, was built in 1872 of Cazenovia-made bricks at a cost of $35,350. The building is a historic landmark in the town and is situated inside the village historic district. Through the years, typical repairs have been done to the building and roof as needed, including roof work in 1996, but major leaks in the roof that started last year have necessitated its entire removal and replacement.
The work by contractor John Marinelli of Manlius began June 20 and was expected to take about eight days, but incessant rains and the increasingly growing scope of the work to be done has delayed the project. The current hope is for completion by the end of July.
The original estimate for the work was $66,000, but as Marinelli’s crews have stripped off the current roofing he has found numerous issues in the historic structure such as weak boards that need to be replaced, roof trim and building rafters that need to be repaired. Now, the cost of the roof is looking to become more like $75,000 at least, said Rob Wester, a member of the church’s board of trustees and the point person for the project.
To pay for the project, the congregation is financing the costs by borrowing money from the Methodist Foundation — rather than through a bank — but “that money has to be replaced,” Long said. Slow repayment of those funds will make it much more difficult for the congregation to hold programs and events, he said.
The church has secured a $7,000 grant to help with the roofing costs from the Sacred Sites International Foundation; to help raise the remaining money the church will do a community-wide appeal for donations, Long said.
Anyone interested in making a tax-deductible donation to the church’s preservation fund can send a check to the Cazenovia United Methodist Church, add “Roof Fund” to the memo line and mail it to Cazenovia United Methodist Church Roof Fund, 23 Lincklaen St., Cazenovia, NY, 13035. Donations and/or memorial donations will be recognized.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].
