After five years of silence, the bells of Short Beach Union Church, the oldest currently operating non-denominational church in the state, are ringing once again.
Before a recent Sunday service began, Reverend Lee “Skip” Ferry allowed attendees to try their hand at ringing the bell, which can be operated by pulling down on a rope in the front of the church. Two young children were the last to ring the bell before the service began at 14 Pentecost St.
According to Ferry, the bell is traditionally sounded 20 minutes and 10 minutes before 10 a.m. to alert the community that the service will start shortly.
At 10 a.m., Ferry told those gathered in the church: “It’s been a long time.” He said many attempts had been made to figure out why the bell did not work.
It turned out a new connection was needed. The week before, carpenters had climbed up into the ceiling area, which can get up to 200 degrees, to fasten a new connection. Voila! The bell was fixed.
Ferry then proceeded to play a recording of Leonard Cohen’s song “Ring the Bells.”
A Further Explanation
According to Warren Gould, an active member of the church, over the years the clamp that holds the wire of the bell together had broken off and the connection came apart. “We created a new type of connection that will hopefully keep for a number of years,” Gould added.
The bell repairs are part of a larger effort to revamp the 131-year-old neighborhood church. Gould cited rotted wood and peeling paint coming off walls and woodwork as some of the major problems the building is currently facing.
“We are near the water, so wood is going to rot,” Gould said. “We found rotted wood in many different locations.” Gould explained that the old wood could also affect the stained glass at the front of the church if measures aren’t taken to fix it.
Overall, the renovations will cost about $30,000. Church members are borrowing from a long-term fund and will create a three- to- five-year plan to raise the money. There are also plans to reach out to the community to raise funds in other ways.
The church has undergone other renovations over the years, including one that returned it to its original architectural state. It is now an historical landmark, according to its website.
History of the Church
The first discussions to create the Short Beach Union Church date to Aug. 1, 1883. At the time, the seaside community was solely a summer destination, so neighbors often met outside on Sundays.
A group of people started going to the future Ella Wheeler Wilcox estate to talk under the shade of a large oak tree. Sometime later, David Corey, a resident of the area, donated the land for the creation of the current church. Within two weeks, the structure was erected.
Many people from different faiths came together to build the church, using donations from the community for the building. A synagogue in New Haven donated the pews and a local church provided the stained glass.
Some years after the church was built, church members also decided to add a wing for social gatherings. Today, this area is used for multiple purposes including yoga, Civic Association of Short Beach meetings, play groups for kids and community gatherings.
The original church bell was a gift from a nearby school chapel then located in nearby Rockland Park. However, after 15 years, the school asked for the bell back in exchange for a new bell.
Now the church’s newest bell tolls for the residents of Short Beach who live here year-round and view the church and its activities as an important part of their lives.
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