|
|
||
11/30/08 |
             
|
A JOURNEY DOWN LINCOLN AVENUE
The slowest trip in history is thought to be the forty years the Israelites took to travel 263 miles from Egypt to Israel. That works out to .0007501 miles per hour, or 6.58 miles per year. About three thousand years later and five thousand miles to the west another group of God’s people started a trip of just over a third of a mile that took twenty-seven years. A new record was set of .0000014 miles per hour or .01 miles per year.
This later story starts on May 29, 1929 when eleven members of the English Evangelical Church of the Holy Trinity of Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York voted to recommend to the congregation “the purchase of a site at the South-East Corner of Lincoln and Woodland Avenues, Rockville Centre, size 250 feet by 218 feet at a price of $26,000.00.” These names should be carefully preserved in Holy Trinity’s history: Pastor Carl Nutzhorn, George D.A. Combes, Jacob Wagner, Louis H. Schneider, Conrad Eurich, A.R.O. Schabbehar, Christian Binner, Fred Meinke, Jr., Henry Bittorf, Sr. Carl Schimid and William Gaskell.
This was not the first time members of Holy Trinity had thought about property for a new church building. Back in 1926 George Combes had purchased the “old sanitarium” site diagonally opposite the church (our church was then located on the north-east corner of Park & Lincoln) for $35,000.00 and offered it to the church for that same price. Had they accepted and built on that site, Holy Trinity would have, at different periods of time, stood on three of the four corners of Lincoln and Park.
George Combes again offered the sanitarium site in 1929 for $40,000.00. He then purchased the Lincoln and Woodland Avenue site for $26,000.00 and also offered it to Holy Trinity at the same price.
At the June 18, 1929 Special Congregational Meeting, Mr. Combes explained he put down a $2,500.00 deposit on the property. $7,500.00 would be needed by the August 1, 1929 closing and he would assume a $16,000.00 mortgage. We had about $5,000.00 in available cash, so we needed to raise an additional $5,000.00.
After much discussion, including the reading of letters from the Ladies Aid Society and the Young Peoples Society in favor on the purchase, the following motion was made by Henry Brunjes, seconded by Henry Bittorf, Jr. and unanimously adopted:
“Whereas, the Church Council of this church has recommended to this congregation the purchase of a certain piece of real property, situated at the corner of Lincoln and Woodland Avenues, in the Village of Rockville Centre, Nassau County, New York at the price of $26,000.00 and Whereas we feel the purchase of this property will be for the best interests of the congregation New therefore be it resolved that the church council of the English Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity of Rockville Centre, New York be, and they are hereby authorized, empowered and decreed to complete the purchase of the aforesaid property paying over such cash as may be necessary into the completion of this transaction and taking title to the premises subject to a mortgage of $16,000.00 as a part of the purchase price.”
At the July 8, 1929 council meeting Pastor Nutzhorn was authorized to send out appeals for funds to purchase the property. George Combes offered $2,500.00. The year end report for 1929 indicates that just over $8,000.00 was raised and after all closing expenses were paid, $440.05 remained plus the mortgage of $16,000.00.
When the Israelites left Egypt they had no real idea of what to expect, but with God on your side, what could go wrong? Holy Trinity of course did not have to face Pharos’s army or forty years of eating nothing but manna (although a lot of coffee and jello was consumed). What no one envisioned at that June meeting was that soon after the closing on the property, less than thirty miles away an event would take place that would mark the start of the most devastating economic down turn in modern history. The October 29, 1929 stock market crash reverberated throughout the world. Soon Rockville Centre, along with the rest of the world was in the mists of the Great Depression. All hope of soon building a new church structure vanished. Ten years later Hitler invaded Poland and in December of 1941 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor the United States itself was drawn into a new world war. One Hundred and thirty-five members of Holy Trinity left Long Island to fight in World War II.
With the war nearly over (every Holy Trinity member came back alive) and the economy recovered thoughts of a new church building was on everyone’s mind. At the January 1945 council meeting it was resolved, “… that the Parish Development and Survey Committee be authorized and directed to work with the church council to study plans for the how, when and where of a new church building, and to report the results of such study at a special meeting of the congregation or at the next annual meeting.”
At the February council meeting it was decided the committee should be composed of five men, five women, three men under 25 years old and three women under 25 years old and the council. This committee consisted of Jacob Wagner, Frank Egner, Henry Dettmer, Harry Hoefener, William Wenz, Mrs. Fred Whittaker, Mrs. Anna Glassman, Mrs. Carl Nutzhorn, Mrs. Roert Thiem, Mrs. George Combes and Miss Lillian Wick. Then as now it must have been difficult to find six people under 25 to serve on a church committee.
During the spring, the committee inspected the Lincoln Avenue property, and studied church buildings in Lynbrook and Floral Park as well as Saint Mark’s in Rockville Centre. Based on these inspections and a report that 161 families lived south of the railroad tracks and 147 families lived north of the railroad tracks, it was the censuses to build on the Lincoln Avenue site.
At the November 1945 council meeting Harry Hoefener introduced his architectural firm and stated their fee would be six percent of the total costs of the building. This was in line with what other architects would propose.
During the 1946 annual congregation meeting slides of other church properties in comparison to ours were shown. Council was empowered to engage architects and enter into a contract. Once the new council was organized a new committee was established. The “New Church Finance Committee” included Jacob Wagner, Mr. Sandstedt, Mr. Boehringer , Mr. Niddrie and all council members. William Trebing, Mr. & Mrs. Whittaker, Mr. & Mrs. Thiem, Mrs. Glassman, Henry Tucker and Joseph Seckinger comprised the Parish Development and Survey Committee.
Harry Hoeferner, along with his partner, Mr. Konvalinka were requested to attend the April council meeting to further explain their proposal to act as our architect. A month later council authorized pastor to sign a contract with Hoeferner’s firm to develop the drawings and supervise the project. On July 20, 1947 an open air service was held on the Lincoln Avenue site. First drafts of the floor plans were ready by late October and at a special council meeting held three days after Christmas two floor plans were presented. The estimated cost was set at $.90 per cubic foot.
From the beginning pastor and council relied on not only the competence of the best people, but also the generosity of members who were willing to lend their professional talents to the work of the church. George Combes was a long time active member, his grandson is still a member of Holy Trinity and many of his great grand children were baptized and confirmed at Holy Trinity. His daughter Ruth and her husband Bob Lidelie were two of our most faithful members until they retired to Massachusetts. George’s wife, Florence, also gave many hours to Holy Trinity. All three generations have served on council.
Harry Hoeferner was another member of the parish. His dedication to the project far exceeded anything that could have been expected of a professional architect. Two other names bear further inspection. Jacob Wagner served on council for over twenty years and was a Sunday School teacher. He was a trustee of Wagner College and a director of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. He was first elected to the Rockville Centre Board of Education in 1928 and served as its president from 1933 to 1949.
Henry Tucker was confirmed at Holy Trinity in 1927 and never wavered in his support of his church. He sang in the choir until the 1980’s and served on council and the call committee that brought Pastor Kuhene to Holy Trinity. His wife Evelyn served in many capacities and was a member of the altar guild until her death in 2003. Their daughter Nancy has also served on council and is a current choir member. Our current Sunday school superintendent Denise Tucker is related by marriage to this family and follows their tradition of service.
These four individuals are mentioned not because they necessarily stand out, but because they typified what made Holy Trinity the special place it is.
In preparation of the 1947 annual congregational meeting plans, elevations and the building location on the property were reviewed at the January council meeting. The basic design was a colonial building in three sections, in which all three to form one large auditorium. Sixty-one lanternslides of the proposed new building were the centerpieces of the January 1947 congregational meeting. The basic design was pure Lutheran. The worship space was in the center, but this was not a building to be used only once a week. What the architect captured was Pastor Nutzhorn’s passion for a building where the work of Christ is a full time job. Based on our belief that grace is a free gift from God, we respond by living the Christian life. The design of the new building allowed for using the entire building or parts of the whole. It would allow us, after Sunday services, to (as Howard Thurman wrote about the post Christmas season) “to find the lost, heal the broken, feed the hungry, release the prisoner, rebuild the nations, bring peace among people and make music in the heart.” The congregation unanimously approved the design.
Perhaps leadership’s enthusiasm to proceed with the building led some people to feel uncomfortable to question the design. It was revealed at the February council meeting that some members remarked that “their personal and physical inability to speak in public had deprived them from registrating their vote. They would have preferred a secret ballot.” Council seems to have talked around this problem by agreeing that this was only a basic plan and there remained opportunities for further discussion. They seem to fail to recognize that the final design would flow from this basic layout and its location on property. It is unclear if they developed a method to help members better express their concerns.
There were also expressions of great enthusiasm. By mid April thirteen people pledged to give one thousand dollars each over a two-year period (the entire church operating budget for 1947 was $15,825.00). In May a new building fund was set up and in October a 1/8” scale model was prepared, which was to be presented at the January 1948 annual meeting. In June of 1948 council reviewed plans for the kitchen. In September pastor was meeting with a local contractor to work out an estimate for the cost of the building. In November the architect was authorized to proceed with working drawings.
It was in 1949 that costs and fund raising methods were developed. Pastor reported that the building would cost between $200,000.00 and 225,000.00 . Funding was divided into four Fifty Thousand Dollar phases: Cash on hand; Future sale of the Park Avenue property; Two years of raising $25,000.00 per year and a $50,000.00 mortgage. The $25,000.00 to be raised in 1949 was set on three levels: $5,000.00 by holding a Golden Jubilee Bazaar (1949 was the fiftieth anniversary of our incorporation as a congregation), “The Talent Plan” would raise $12,000.00 and miscellaneous gifts and pledges would account for the final $8,000.00.
The Bazaar Committee was established at the February council meeting. Mrs. Thiem, Mr. Melia and Mr. Niddrie were appointed to organize the bazaar. Their first meeting was less than a week later and the dates of September 29, 30 and October 1 were chosen to hold the bazaar. They set $2,500.00 as a more realistic goal. The planned to sell needlecrafts, home made food, snacks, costume jewelry, pet accessories and plants. They later added the idea of pony rides and an auction. This plan was approved at an April 27, 1949 special congregation meeting.
Those who have participated in past Craft Fairs have a good idea of the time and effort that must have gone into this bazaar. It was held on the site of the new church building and resulted in net income of $4,059.13 for the building bund.
A congregational dinner was held on April 27, 1949 to explain the idea behind the talent plan, based on the parable in Matthew 25:14-30. The congregation would be divided along geographical lines into approximately thirty units. Each unit was to work out ways and means of earning money between May 1st and Christmas. The church would mail $1.00 (the talent) to each member or in the case of couples, $1.00 per couple to be used as capital for the enterprise, which the group engaged in. Envelopes were also sent so those who did not want to participate could send their dollar back. Five Hundred dollars was sent out as seed money and $4,548.43 was returned by December 31, 1949. By the end of 1949 the building fund stood at $38,850.33. As we headed into the second half of the twentieth century we were full of enthusiasm, although it was dawning on the some of the leaders that our fundraising estimates had been over optimistic.
During 1949 work continued on the drawings. Tentative drawings received in August were revised by the council suggestion of more space for the Sexton’s quarters and moving the boiler closer to the sexton’s quarter. In September the revised plans were submitted to a contractor for a quote. 1950 was a year of working with the architect on revising the drawings, trying to keep the basic design, but cut building costs. Durward Kennedy was appointed chair of the Building Committee and had frequent meetings with the architects. The building fund increased by over $12,000.00 during 1950 and in December the final payment was made of the mortgage for the Lincoln Avenue property.
The highlight of the 1951 congregational meeting was the burning of the mortgage. Kay Kennedy lit the match and all watched as the mortgage taken out way back in 1929 went up in flames. Most people must have been thinking what a different world it was now than when that mortgage was first approved. 1951 was another year of reviewing drawings and engaging in fund raising. Both aspects of the project seemed to be only crawling towards the finish line. During the year the building fund increased by another $8,000.00 and now stood at $59,659.41.
Many people wanted to just start building. At the May 1952 finance meeting its members recommend we start building as soon as possible, but it wan not until September that we received blueprints and specifications. By the end of the year the architect was receiving bids. Fund raising remained a problem. At the November meeting pastor suggested calling in a professional fundraiser.
The pressure to move in some kind of direction may have reached a boiling point at the January 1953 annual meeting. A letter was read concerning the problems and finances to be encountered in building a new church. After much discussion two important motions were approved. First, “That the Church Council be authorized to undertake such preliminary clearing and preparation of our church site as they find is advantageous for progress in our program.” Two, “That the Church Council be authorized and directed to enter upon negotiations with suitable purchasers whenever opportunity offers for the sale of our church property at South Park and Lincoln Avenue, Rockville Centre, N.Y., on terms to be approved by the congregation.” It must have been made clear to some members that what we had on hand combined with what we may receive from the sale of our current property would not cover our needs. Our attempts at fund raising were not sufficient. It was then approved, “That the Church Council be instructed to seek the aid of approved church fund-raising experts in a cost-free analysis of the giving power of our congregation, with the purpose in view of having such trained help in gathering funds for building, after approval by the congregation.”
1953 seems to be a year that centered on fund raising. The finance committee estimated the value of the existing land and buildings at $75,000.00 in February, but the following month an appraisers estimate was closer to $50,000.00 to $55,000.00 was received. The South Nassau Unitarian Church offered $40,000.00 over twelve months, but council set the price at $70,000.00 cash.
The Wells Organization presented their program of fundraising to the congregation at a special meeting held in June. Mr. Lester Shultz of Wells estimated we could raise between $100,000.00 and $125,000.00 in a three-year period. Pastor stated that he had discussed this with other members of the clergy who engaged the services of the Wells ground and they were all very satisfied. There was a very spirited discussion; members spoke out in favor and against the idea of an outside fundraiser. It was on clear, however that Pastor Nutzhorn and the council were fully in favor. A motion was made to hire the Wells Organization and more discussion ensued. A second motion was made to have a written ballot for the first motion and it was approved by a vote of 31 to 27. The vote on the motion to hire the Wells Organization was passed by 40 votes in favor, 36 against and 2 abstentions.
The fact that only 78 members voted makes one wonder how many people felt strongly about a new building. Why only 58 people voted about have a written ballot is a mystery. A four-vote margin (1/2 of 1%) is very slim. It is not known what the Wells representative thought or if he was present for the vote. In any case less than a week after the special congregational meeting, council gave Pastor Nutzhorn approval to sign a contract with the Wells Organization. They helped develop a fifteen-page booklet outlining the limitations of the current building, the advantages of a new building and a method in which to raise the necessary funds. The campaign kicked off on October 26, 1953. By mid December $111,534.50 in pledges had been received. Even those who voted against using the Wells group must have been impressed with the results.
There is little in the record of 1953 regarding the progress of the drawings or the results of the bids that were received in December of 1952. We do have several sketches of the early design for the building, which indicate a more elaborate design. The original budget of $200,000.00 was optimistic at best. In addition we were in the middle of one of the biggest building booms in the history of the United States. This was especially true of Long Island. Most members experience of building costs were steeped in the Depression. It is unlikely that anyone was prepared for the type of costs we were receiving for the new building. It would appear that the bids received were all greater than the budget allowed and thus we requested the architect rework the drawings to design a less expensive building. In the meantime we would concentrate on fundraising.
By early January 1954 the architect completed changes to the drawings in an effort to save costs. In addition, it was announced at the February council meeting that the partnership of Hoefner, Konvalinka and Merz had been dissolved and the Harry Hoefner was now with the firm of Thompson & Barnum. An agreement was reached with all parties for Hoefner’s new firm to take over the project at the same six percent fee. They immediately starting working on structural changes that would substantially decrease the cost of the building. By March the revised plans were reviewed by council and approved. The architects were set to have the plans and specifications to the contractors by April 23rd with a due date for bids of late May. Plans were submitted to the Building Department on May 5, 1954.
It was decided to send the drawings out to ten general contractors: Veit & Co., P.J. Murphy, Gilbert Olsen, Dominick Milone, Inc., Robert Johnson, Jules Schneider, J.R. Stevenson, Chester Gunderson, Thomas Hughes and E.N. Jackson Contracting Co. In the end eight of them submitted bids. At a June 21, 1954 special council meeting the executive building committee recommended awarding the contract to the low bidder, Jules Schneider for the total of $280,900.00. Ground breaking was set for June 27th. The next day at another special council meeting the executive committee rescinded their motion and suggested that Dominick Milone be awarded the contract for the sum of $279,000.00. Mr. Jost, Mr. Hoffmann and Mr. Andersen all voted no, this motion passed by seven votes.
It is important to note that all this information comes from council and congregational meeting notes. We have yet to find any notes from the building committee meetings or any of the bidding documents or the bids themselves. To a certain degree there is more that we don’t know then we do know. It is not clear if Milone’s bid was a ninth bid that came in late, or he somehow decided to revise his bid. It should be noted that the congregation was under no obligation to accept the lowest bid. They could choose whomever they wanted for any reason they wanted. Perhaps in the future we will find some documents that will help us better understand this decision. Dominick Milone was a well know firm. They build St. Agnes Cathedral and would go on the build Central Synagogue, as well as many buildings on the campuses of Molloy College and Mercy Hospital. They may have been the “local contractor” who was helping with budget numbers during the design phase. An hour after that second special council meeting, at special congregational meeting the motion to award the contract to Dominick Milone, Inc. for $279,000.00 was unanimously approved.
Much of the first half of 1954 was also spent investigating financing for the new project. In April pastor contacted the Lutheran Mutual Insurance Co. and the Life Insurance Society, Lutheran Brotherhood regarding a mortgage. The committee also spoke with local banks looking for the best rates. It is interesting to note that before all the financing was in place, construction began on the new building.
Eight days after the congregation meeting the building on the construction site was demolished. On the last day of June in 1954 ground was broken for the basement. As the summer pressed on the footings were completed and the contractor was forming the foundation walls. Before the summer was over, problems did begin to crop up. The foundation sub fell behind in submitting his shop drawings and an error in the structural drawings was discovered that resulted in designing an additional three tons of steel at a cost of $750.00.
The laying of the cornerstone was finally set for November 14, 1954. The Rev. David Jaxheimer (Assistant to the Synod President) was the guest speaker and Mayor Harry Lister also attended this milestone in the life of the congregation. Actually two cornerstones were involved. The 1902 cornerstone from the Park Avenue property was removed, opened and brought over to the Lincoln Avenue site.
That 1902 cornerstone held within it the following:
As 1954 turned into 1955 weather slowed down construction and we still did not have a final commitment on our finances.
The January 1955 congregational meeting was the last held in the Park Avenue building. There was hope to be in the new building by Rally Day. While the construction slowed down due to weather and the contractor’s inability to fully man the job, everyone’s attention turned to the finishes of the interior of the building. A contract with Albert Wood and Five Sons to furnishes and install the pews, pulpit, lectern, altar and baptismal font was approved. We also decided to move the organ from Park Avenue and have it installed in the new building. By July the organ was removed and being prepared for its new home. A committee was formed to work on colors and finishes for the new building and to award contracts to install those items.
Relations with Milone’s firm weaken as time went on. On several occasions they were requested to speed up the progress of the job and to increase the labor force. Milone proposed to move the bell from Park Avenue to the new building for $600.00 stating that the rigging costs alone were $500.00. The building committee felt this number was too high and for the cost of $200.00 had the job done by Pyramid Cranes, Inc. All the interior work was given out to separate contactors directly by the council.
By October all the finances were in place. We received a construction loan from County Federal Savings and Loan Association that would be converted to a twenty-year mortgage at four and one-half percent. Still construction was lagging behind schedule and it was clear that we would not be in the building until 1956. To sooth some of the rough feelings, Milone donated $1,000.00 towards the building fund.
The building was enclosed by January 1956 and interior construction was proceeding, but the finishes could not start, as the heating system was not yet operational. The organ company was ready to install the unit, but had to be held off until the building was heated. In January the dedication date was moved from February 12th to March 4th. There was also discussion on where to hold the annual congregational meeting. Many members wanted to hold it in the new building, but some felt that using the building could be misconstrued as acceptance of a finished product. In the end an agreement with Mr. Milone was reached where we did hold the meeting on January 25th in the new building although all that agreed it this did not imply acceptance.
The contractor continued to work on finishing the building and the architect submitted a list of work that needed to be corrected or completed. Members painted much of building and Sverre Johannsen led a group of carpenters who installed the kitchen cabinets that Sverre had made in his shop. Other members helped complete other interior finishes and nearly all of the interior furnishings were financed by memorial gifts. In February it was decided to hold five percent of the total contract until the architect was satisfied that all work had been completed. By mid February it was clear that while the project would not be one hundred percent complete, it would be ready for its dedication in March and as a place for worship by the congregation for years to come. Holy Trinity’s new street address was now 240 Lincoln Avenue. The one-third mile long trip was completed, we were in our new home.
Moses, as we know, died before he had a chance to stand in the promise land. Pastor Nutzhorn presided at that first service and many others to follow, but the effort left its mark. Only two years later, at the age of fifty-nine, Pastor Nutzhorn succumbed to a fatal heat attack. He was buried out of the building he worked so hard to construct on April 18, 1958. Perhaps the final and true cost of the building was one man’s life.
Our building has seen many changes over its fifty-year life (a new organ, memorial windows, chapel relocation & later its renovation and the basement renovation to name a few). The most recent is the relocation of the church office to what in 1956 was called the Council Room. Each change to our building is a story in itself. Over these fifty years thousands of people have passed through the doors to pray, receive communion, be baptized, confirmed, marry and, like Pastor Nutzhorn, return to the Lord.
A side note: While we celebrated the dedication that day back in March of 1956, a few miles to the north a baby was born who one day would grace our building with her voice and musical talents. Our own choir member, Wendy Wolber celebrates her fiftieth birthday on the same day we remember the dedication of this building.
As we look back on this journey, we must thank and praise the Holy Spirit for empowering the members of the “little white church on the corner” to envision, develop and build a new home. We understand the responsibility that comes down to us with this gift to continue to know Christ and make Him know.
|
This site was last updated 08/18/08