You might need to read the sign in front of Sag Harbor’s Old Whalers’ Church to know that you are looking at a church. The lovely white building once had a tall steeple visible across the community. Stop to see this historic landmark, today a gleaming white building with an unusual block-like façade.
The official name of the structure is the First Presbyterian Church. It was built in 1844, replacing an earlier church and even older meeting house, which marked the start of the church community in 1766. Gaze up at the geometric shapes of the façade with a bit of crenellation marking the edge of the flat roofline. The style is a mix of Greek Revival and Egyptian Revival. A 1994 plaque marks the site’s designation as a national historic landmark.
Imagine the importance of the church during the height of the whaling industry in the 1840s. At that time, 63 whaling ships sailed out of Sag Harbor and the town had thriving businesses. When the church was built, its 185-foot-tall (56-meter) steeple was a welcoming sight as the whalers returned home after long stints at sea. The steeple was destroyed by a hurricane in 1938. The church has longstanding fundraising efforts to install a new steeple feel free to make a donation toward this cause.
Step inside the structure. Walk past the box pews with individual doors and look for carved whales teeth decorating the gleaming golden organ. In addition to its weekly religious services, the church also hosts choir and bell choir practice, as well as community meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Weight Watchers. Family movies are shown outside on some summer evenings.
Visit Old Whalers’ Church mid-morning on Sundays for the 1-hour worship service. Everyone is welcome. After the service, walk north toward the harbor. Pick up coffee in downtown Sag Harbor on the way and enjoy watching pretty sailboats as you stroll along the waterfront.
