By clare MARie celano
Staff Writer
JERRY WOLKOWITZ Employees from A.P. Roofing and Siding, of Chester, prepare to place a panel on the steeple at the First Presbyterian Church, West Main Street, Freehold Borough.
FREEHOLD — Officials at the First Presbyterian Church are in the process of "dressing up" the building that has held their ministry since 1873.
Fred Scott, chairman of the Property Commission, has been overseeing the construction project on the church at the corner of West Main Street and Brinckerhoff Avenue.
A new roof for the sanctuary and a new roof for the Christian education building next door to the church have already been completed.
Scott explained that the new sanctuary roof is actually made of rubber, but will present the appearance of slate.
"It’s actually made out of old, used tires," he said. "It costs much more than a traditional roof, but it’s well worth it, and it comes with a 50-year guarantee."
The roof on the Christian education building will be made of traditional roofing material and will also carry a 50-year guarantee, according to Scott.
The cost of both roofs is $122,000.
Now, renovations are centered around the replacement of materials on the tower. A.P. Roofing and Siding, of Chester, has been contracted to replace the existing tower shingles with aluminum ones that will be copper colored. The steeple now shines brilliantly and will continue to shine on the 125-foot-high building, the highest point in the borough. Scott said these shingles are also guaranteed for 50 years.
He commented humorously that officials are planning on "hanging around" to see if the guarantees hold up.
Work on the tower began Aug. 27 and is now complete.
Scott said the $15,000 cost of the tower renovations included a $5,000 fee for the rental of equipment that allowed workers to be able to reach the tower.
Scott, who lives in Freehold Township, was an electrical contractor by trade and is now retired, but spends a good deal of his time working at the church. He said the front porch of the church is being extended and crews are working on new exterior doors as well.
"The doors need to swing outward to meet the fire code," Scott said, noting that the door design was originally "grandfathered," but he said that "no longer works."
He explained that if the doors swing outward, the front porch is presently too short, making it dangerous for congregation members.
"It must be extended 8 feet to meet the code," he said.
Scott said several large church fires in North Jersey over the last few years have prompted code enforcers in Freehold to inspect all borough churches to re-evaluate their safety. Exit lights and emergency lighting, as well as smoke detectors and fire detectors, were added in the basement to meet the code.
The Rev. Cindy Bowman has been leading congregation members of the First Presbyterian Church for six years. The pastor told the News Transcript that she was happy the church had been able to maintain the historic building in spite of the poor state of the economy.
Bowman said the cost to the church is expensive and noted that the church had to raise a large amount of money to do the work, but in the end, she said, "It was worth it."
"Congregation members love the sanctuary, and we’re glad that we are able to maintain what has been a tradition to many over the years," Bowman said.
The pastor said the ministry began in 1832 as an offshoot of the Old Tennent Presbyterian Church in Manalapan.
"A number of families got together and built a church in Freehold Borough," Bowman said, adding that the original site was at 57 W. Main St. The congregation later moved to the current location on the corner of Brinckerhoff and West Main Street in 1873 when the new church was completed.
The pastor said congregation members are "thrilled" with the changes that have been made.
"People are taking pride in their building, especially the older members who have been here for a long time," Bowman said.
She said watching the process of the construction and renovations was really "neat." Officials took many pictures to memorialize the event, according to the pastor.
"The building is a symbol of the ministry that we carry on here," Bowman added.