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Remains of Southold’s First Universalist Church leveled

 

Construction crews load the remains of the First Universalist Church into dumpsters at the site Thursday morning.
A construction worker loads the remains of the First Universalist Church into dumpsters at the site Thursday morning.

The historic First Universalist Church, which was almost totally destroyed by fire in March, has seen its last day.

The few remaining pieces of the building left standing — the lone eastern wall and the back rooms — were leveled Thursday morning by a construction crew.

The church, dating back to 1835 and located at the bend of Main Road near Southold village, was badly damaged in a fire that broke out March 14. Investigators later said the fire was not suspicious.

The church’s congregation hosted a farewell service for the church earlier this month and have been meeting for regular weekly services at another historic building: the Custer Institute observatory down the road.

The First Universalist Church had been restored in 1907, with the now-lost steeple getting its own restoration roughly 80 years later after it was damaged by Hurricane Gloria, according to Suffolk Times articles.

Church leadership is currently exploring ideas to rebuild or relocate, church president Susi Young told the Suffolk Times.

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