Sayville landmark gets new life with St. Ann’s bell tower restoration

For generations, the bell tower at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church has been a familiar landmark in Sayville, marking milestones and standing as a symbol of the church’s long presence in the community.

Now, after significant structural problems were discovered within the historic tower, St. Ann’s is nearing the completion of an extensive restoration project aimed at preserving it for generations to come.

St. Ann’s has been part of the greater Sayville community since 1888, according to Father Benjamin Brenkert, the church’s rector. Before the church was established, the congregation worshipped at a chapel associated with St. John’s Episcopal Church in Oakdale.

As the congregation outgrew the chapel, St. Ann’s was born.

Located at 257 Middle Road, the church and its bell tower have since become recognizable parts of the Sayville landscape.

Over the years, its bells have marked important moments for both the church and community, including anniversaries and annual meetings.

“It’s a symbol of what the church is to the community,” Brenkert said.

In recent years, however, the historic structure began showing signs that it needed more than routine maintenance.

Within roughly the last five years, the church began noticing water infiltration in the tower. What initially appeared to be a relatively limited repair became a much larger undertaking once restoration specialists examined the structure.

The church brought in Kingstone Restoration, a New Jersey masonry company, to assess the tower. During that work, masons discovered significant structural problems in the stonework.

The joints between the stones had deteriorated so badly that portions could crumble by hand.

What began as an effort to stop water from getting into the tower soon became an extensive rehabilitation project — and one that required significant funding.

The church launched a capital campaign after Easter with a goal of raising as much as $100,000.

The restoration also received a boost earlier this month from People’s Arc of Suffolk, which donated $1,000 toward the project. The contribution came from proceeds raised through the organization’s annual Shark Tank Showdown fundraiser at the Long Island Aquarium.

People’s Arc is based on the St. Ann’s campus, and the church has worked with the organization on community initiatives.

The campus also includes a thrift shop that serves the community and provides assistance to people experiencing housing or food insecurity.

Brenkert said the restoration reflects what church leaders hope St. Ann’s will continue to represent: a community church serving people both inside and outside its walls.

“The tower represents what we hope to be — a community church,” he said, describing St. Ann’s as a place where people are welcome and where members carry that sense of community with them beyond the church property.

Restoration work has touched all sides of the tower, including the area behind the sanctuary, the north side facing nearby apartments and the cedar shakes surrounding the structure.

The work was completed toward the end of the summer, and St. Ann’s is now preparing to celebrate the restored Sayville landmark sometime in October.

More photos below by Julianne Mosher