CLARKSTON, Mich. (WXYZ) — A nearly 200-year-old church in Clarkston is getting a second chance.
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The Sashabaw Presbyterian Church, built and furnished for $3,000 in 1855, has sat vacant for more than 25 years and fallen into disrepair. Now, a small group of volunteers is working to restore the historic building and reopen it to the public.
The church is one of the area's first community buildings and would have seen residents use it for voting during Abraham Lincoln's presidency.
Abigail Lee-Wright, a member of the congregation and co-president of the committee leading the restoration effort, said the goal is to make the space meaningful again.
"Nothing is happening in the building, and we want to bring it back so it's important to the community again," Lee-Wright said. "So it really goes back to just being a part of history."
The current Sashabaw Presbyterian congregation moved across the street in the 1960s after outgrowing the original space. Lee-Wright and her husband, Neal Lee, are both members of that congregation and have been central to the restoration push.
Lee-Wright said it took two years to raise enough money through personal and private donations just to paint the building.
"It's a little congregation, and they've just been doing their darndest to support this," Lee-Wright said. "It's a slow process. It's an astronomical project."
The basement has recently been redone, with a focus on preservation. Lee-Wright pointed to the building's original beams as a reminder of its deep roots.
"These beams all came from Lapeer — you know generations have come before you here," Lee-Wright said.
Lee said the effort extends beyond the congregation itself.
"Seeing a building like this get revitalized is something that is really important," Lee said. "It means a lot to get this building up and going because it's not just for the church — it's for the community as a whole."
The building has suffered broken windows and vandalism over the last decade, accelerating its deterioration. The committee is now seeking grants to continue the work. Before the space can open to the public, the bathrooms must be brought up to code and the building's structural integrity must be secured.
Lee-Wright said she believes it can be done.
"Whatever gathering of people together, I think this space can be used for that. And a beautiful representation of what it was supposed to be in 1855," Lee-Wright said.
A GoFundMe has been launched for the effort. You can donate by clicking here.
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