Neighborhood Preservation: Fighting for Sacred Places

NPC Newsletter April 30, 2025

The struggle to save historic houses of worship

As congregations throughout the country continue to decline in numbers, historic churches face daily questions on how to preserve vast spaces with limited resources. Many of these institutions have long standing foundational connections to neighborhood support structures. When these institutions fold or leave a neighborhood, those resources - food pantries, ESL classes, youth programs - may also be lost. And, when a building is demolished, the character of a neighborhood is often radically changed. Where once an historic edifice might have embodied a community identity, new buildings can override connections with the past.

To highlight critical historic resources in danger of being torn down, the Preservation League of New York State creates an annual ‘Seven to Save’ list. One current building is the Church of the Mediator in Bronx County. In 2009, it was reported that the building needed serious roofing and other repairs to restore it to its former glory. With high maintenance costs and a diminishing congregation, the struggle to fend off plans to demolish the site puts those in support of housing (one of the proposed plans for the site) in conflict with a congregation hoping to hold onto a piece of neighborhood history.

Church of the Mediator, c 2009. Photo Credit: Jim Henderson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Located in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx, this Episcopal Church serves a multicultural, bilingual community with religious services and other ministries including domestic violence support, senior outreach, summer camp, and community events.

Guide for Congregations

Sometimes, congregations look to find partners to lease space in efforts to cover maintenance costs. Finding partners has different challenges, from navigating potential legal and tax issues, and for congregations, it is usually important that tenants share the same values. Thus, leasing space is not a simple process, but one that requires thoughtful guidance.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation offers a guide for congregations to self-assess maintenance needs and consider the framework for transitioning its building for alternative uses. This guide is particularly important as it supports an intersectional approach to adaptive reuse for buildings that hold high community and cultural value. By providing guidance to congregations on which parties to involve in discussions surrounding adaptive reuse, religious spaces can begin to embark on a new chapter that involves the broader community while still maintaining themselves as a touchstone of a community’s heritage.

Preserving Sacred Place: Funding Opportunities

The National Fund for Sacred Places - a program of Partners for Sacred Places - offers grants for religious spaces in need of preservation support. This year's application round is in progress, but you can learn more about eligibility here.

The New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Program has two application deadlines for grants each year, January 15th and June 1st – learn more about this opportunity here.

Preserving Sacred Places: Historic Black Churches

In February, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund at the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced its Preserving Black Churches grantee cohort for 2025 – you can see the list here.  

NPC Lunch & Learn

Responding to Disasters

May 14, 2025

12:00 p.m.

Join us for a free 45-minute program on moving forward after a disaster,

which actually means planning ahead. Sharing ideas from conversations with experts in the field after the LA fires and North Carolina hurricane.

Free Program.

Email info@nycnpc.org for information.

Have a question or idea about your neighborhood preservation project?

Share your thoughts, suggestions, or resources by emailing us at:

info@nycnpc.org

NPC Newsletter Contributors

L. Danielle Cylich: NPC Board Chair, Danielle is always ready to share enthusiasm about the rich history and beauty found in the built environment and the people who inhabit our neighborhoods, and in protecting our natural resources.

Shannen Smiley: An early-career professional, Shannen's work has been motivated by the intersections of social justice and heritage, with a particular interest in broadening the accessibility of preservation tools. 

The Neighborhood Preservation Center is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing and enabling conversations about the need for community space - both physical and virtual - in order to improve the urban environment and quality of life.

We work to facilitate mutually beneficial connections between like-minded groups in the livable cities sector, share resources and champion neighborhoods.