The St. Ann’s Rectory is lost, but not our cause

In early Feb 2021, we met with the new owners of the 1909 St. Ann’s Rectory. We handed them this petition (change.org/saintannsrectory) with well over 2,700 signatures, as well as a packet full of testimonials and our vision for saving the rectory. In addition, we gave a few questions regarding how the rectory could be preserved without interfering with their plans to redevelop the rest of the block, if we could offer historical/architectural input on the renderings before they went to the planning and zoning board, and if they would help us with our goal of a resource center for preservation. We were told we'd get an email reply with answers to our questions within days, which we still haven't gotten.

They let us walk through the rectory and observe the damage wrought by the liquidation sales back in November. Doors, windows and woodwork had been ripped from the walls, and the floors were strewn with bricks, plaster and lathe. Their stance was that the building was given to them in poor condition, and it was too far gone to save. (Interestingly, the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse was in much worse shape before it was restored.)

There was no convincing anyone in power that the rectory was worth saving. Despite our willingness to repair the building with our OWN time and money, the research we did to prove this building was irreplaceable, and our flexibility in exploring EVERY POSSIBLE OPTION to save this building, it was NOT enough. Of course, we knew we were David vs. Goliath, except that the odds were way more against us. Still, we still held out hope for the March planning and zoning board meeting, where the renderings would allegedly be shown and where we could offer public comment.

Yet demolition moved swiftly on the rectory. A bulldozer ripped it down Feb. 10, and we were truly taken by surprise that this is happening before the renderings are even approved. Indeed, this painful loss is not just the fault of redevelopers. This is a large systemic, societal issue that has plagued us for many years, an inability to see value in anything besides fast, cheap and easy.

We mourn the loss of this rare 1909 Stick Style that had so much potential but stood in the way of a very powerful force. But we refuse to let this sacred place die in vain, and we refuse to allow your signature to save the rectory to have been written in vain. We will NOT stop fighting for preservation at the systemic level, because that's the only way we are going to be able to make any change. But we need your help. Please fill out this form (https://forms.gle/efaU2YdS6Ri8p88Q8)to join our free email list to stay informed as we continue the preservation fight.

There will be more petitions. There will be more of us showing up at meetings. And there WILL be more places that need to be saved. We must be strong and carry on.

Thank you for your continued support.

"The past is not the property of historians; it is a public possession. It belongs to anyone who is aware of it, and it grows by being shared. It sustains the whole society, which always needs the identity that only the past can give.... They were just people, asking a poignant and universal question: 'How will we know it’s us without our past?' We do not choose between the past and the future; they are inseparable parts of the same river." - William J. Murtagh

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