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The First Presbyterian (Old Whalers') Church of Sag Harbor shortly before the 1938 Hurricane blew off its 185-foot-tall steeple.
Workers stand proudly atop the steeple in 1910, not knowing that the renovation project they undertook to stop leaks and shore up supports doomed the structure in the 1938 Hurricane.
The massive 185-foot steeple of the First Presbyterian (Old Whalers’) Church in Sag Harbor was the tallest structure on Long Island when built in 1844. But the steeple came down in the Hurricane of 1938 — the victim of a well-intentioned but ill-fated attempt in the early 1900s to shore it up. Now, there’s a vision to rebuild the steeple, this time, with cell towers within that would help pay for its reconstruction and improve communication networks for miles around. Architect Randy Croxton, a member of the church’s Session, joins editors and reporter Stephen J. Kotz to talk about the church’s history, the need for improved cellular service on the East End and the vision for rebuilding the iconic steeple.
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