Sashabaw Presbyterian Church Restoration Committee Works to Restore 1855 Building as Community Gathering Place

For nearly two centuries, the Sashabaw Presbyterian Church has stood as a witness to the changing community around it. Built in 1855, the historic structure has seen generations pass through its doors, including community members who once gathered there for elections. Today, the building is once again drawing people together in an effort to restore it and give it a new purpose as a community gathering place.

Abigail Lee-Wright, a member of the congregation and co-president of the committee leading the restoration effort, stated that the group hopes to preserve the building’s history while making it useful for future generations. Wright noted that the committee includes individuals who have a deep appreciation for history and a strong community-minded desire to bring the building back. The Sashabaw Presbyterian Church congregation currently has about 20 members. Although the congregation built its current church across the street on Maybee Road in 1970, the original building remains an important part of the church’s history and the surrounding community.

The restoration committee began its current work about two years ago, comprising members of the church as well as people from the broader community. The building retains an attic and a narrow choir loft, and was once heated with a potbelly stove. During the 1940s or 1950s, the congregation raised the building to create classrooms, a fellowship hall, and a kitchen in the basement. Wright indicated that the floorboards date back to 1855 and were brought to the site by sleigh from Lapeer.

Restoration work has included encapsulating the floors and installing new studs in preparation for insulation and drywall. Glass block windows were also installed, although some have since been boarded up because of vandalism. The building has received help from the community before; in 2016, students from the Clarkston Schools tech program came to the church and completed some of the restoration work. The original cross, pulpit, and other historic items have been moved across the street and are currently being used by the congregation during worship.

Wright identified the next major tasks as getting the windows redone, addressing a structural issue, and completing the bathrooms. She stated that if these three items are completed, everything else remaining is pretty much cosmetic. The committee estimates the larger projects will cost about $15,000, while completing all of the needed work could cost about $75,000. Wright acknowledged that money has been the biggest challenge, noting that it took two years to raise the money for the painting, which came from small and personal donations.

The committee is also exploring grant opportunities to assist with the restoration. The effort to preserve this historic structure reflects a commitment to neighbor-love and the practical care of shared community spaces, echoing the biblical call to do good to all people, especially those of the household of faith, as seen in Galatians 6:10. The work represents a tangible expression of mercy and stewardship, ensuring that a place of historical significance continues to serve the needs of the local community.

Source: Read the original report