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One of the Coast’s most historic treasures, the Holy Trinity church in Silverdale, is literally falling down with neglect.
The work needed to fix the 138-year-old building is estimated to cost around $300,000 and raising that sum has been left to a small group of parishioners.
Fundraising committee member, Lynette Walker, says it needs to be pulled apart and reconstructed, from the ground up.
The church, tucked away behind a block of shops alongside Stella Maris school, is still used for regular services, as well as occasional weddings and funerals because of its picturesque, heritage looks.
However, you can see daylight through gaps in some of the walls and there is a lot of rot visible. In places, the woodwork can be pulled away.
Retired builder and Holy Trinity parishioner, Ernie Moffat, helped to maintain the church for around 15 years, until he became unable to do so. He built the little cottage and toilets alongside in 2009.
He says the foundations began sinking in one corner almost from the time the church was moved from its former site on Silverdale Street to the current site – nearly 20 years ago. That decline has added up over time.
“This land was a swamp, and the foundations have not held up,” Ernie says. “And everything else is showing its age. I did a lot of patch-up work, replacing windowsills and sashes, but it’s well past that stage now.”
Adding to the cost of repairs is the fact that the church has a Heritage NZ Category 2 listing, and also has protection as a Category B historic building under the Auckland Unitary Plan.
Any work has to meet strict heritage standards.
“You can’t just bang in a new window frame,” church custodian Chris Moffat says.
Lynette says the fundraising committee is starting from absolute zero. The Anglican Dioscese of Auckland, although it owns the church, does not pay for maintenance, which is left to the local parish. Diocesan manager, Sonia Maugham, says this is because “the buildings are for the benefit of the local community”.
Lynette says this has left the parish with a huge mountain to climb.
“Our congregation is small, and some are very elderly, so we need the wider community’s support,” she says.
The fundraising committee is holding a public meeting for anyone who can help – local businesses, the wider community, anyone with fundraising ideas or options, on Saturday September 30, at 2.30pm at the church. Refreshments will be provided, and the meeting begins at 3pm.
“This is the oldest church on the Coast, and we really need help,” Lynette says. “As a historic place, it is of wider value than just to Anglicans, or churchgoers, and we will be so grateful if the community can support us in any way they can.”
