A church’s firm foundation Recovering from destruction, Palmyra congregation prepares to rebuild

Just a year ago, a devastating fire devoured the historic St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, which had stood tall on a knoll in Palmyra since 1839.

It’s a landmark to many Route 2 travelers and a sanctuary for those within this small community.

Parishioners have had 12 months to assess their loss and regroup in the church’s meeting space, a former 1800s Grange Hall, which looks out at the smooth lawn where the church once stood.

“We have adjusted quite well,” said the Rev. Levering Sherman, priest in charge. “This is a historic, beautiful building. The pain is still there, but on the other hand, we began recovering quickly.”

The altar is on wheels so it can be easily moved out of the way for turkey suppers. Temporary plastic chairs in bright blue and yellow are carefully lined up for services, and on the walls are many items firefighters saved from the burning church: banners, lanterns and a massive cross.

Yet across the room from the altar are some very special items in this meeting space. A wall is covered with the future: architectural renderings of what the new church will look like.

St. Martin’s is preparing to rebuild.

“After the fire, there was a natural period of depression,” Sherman said. “We were all absorbing and feeling the loss. But there is something about the challenge of a fresh start, a new beginning that brings with it a different potential.”

He said that not only has church membership grown to about 80 people, but that support has poured in from across the county. A church in New York, which also was destroyed by fire, sent a check from its own rebuilding fund. A man who passed through Palmyra each year on his way to visit family sent money when he spotted the empty place where the church once stood, then learned about the fire.

Sherman had just begun his duties as the spiritual leader of St. Martin’s when the fire struck on April 19, 2006.

“It was quite a start to quite a year,” he admitted last week. “I can’t believe it has gone by so fast. The first part of the year was very difficult. We were just groping through. But there was never any doubt that we would get through – this is a very tough bunch of people.”

Sherman said his parishioners had the attitude that “this is the worst we’ll go through.” He said that by relying on their faith, there wasn’t a whole lot of looking backward.

“Our goal is to break ground in the spring,” he said. This planning stage is the hardest part, Sherman added. “Once we start on construction, I expect it to go quickly.”

Sherman said the project is still in the detail stages, and the plans contain several options, including using the Grange Hall as it stands, moving it to abut the new church, or constructing a new meeting hall that would include an auditorium and a stage.

“The issue of continuing as a part of the community is of primary interest to us,” Sherman said. “Part of our mission to rebuild is to keep an open door to the community. This is not just a local church. It is a part of the larger community.”

It took church members months to sort through the saved records from the burned church and to create an insurance list of all that was lost.

Sherman said the new church will have exactly the same dimensions as its predecessor, but its entrance will face the rear of the property rather than Route 2.

Architect Christopher Glass of Camden, who specializes in churches, is in charge of the design.

The church committee is still dealing with its insurance company, Sherman said, and the church may have to do some additional fundraising to complete the rebuilding. He said the foundation, paving and a septic system are not covered by insurance.

“But we are excited and looking forward,” he said.