After a Disaster: Program Aids Congregations in Need of Emergency Repairs
By Lily Hamilton, Associate Director of the National Fund for Sacred Places Congregations stewarding historic houses of worship are often planning for the next once-in-a-generation building project. Whether a roof replacement, electrical system upgrade, or the...Churches Are Closing- And Taking Their Economic Impact With Them
By Bob Jaeger Op-ed: The average urban historic sacred place generates more than $1.7 million in economic impact every year. What are cities doing to preserve that? Read...
Keeping it in the Community: Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church
Founded on the eve of the Civil War by abolitionist families in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood, the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church (LAPC) has been a force for social change for more than 160 years. Its Romanesque Revival-style building, which features a...
A Perfect Composition: Philip Glass’s Etudes in Honor of The Glass House
The First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Connecticut, hosted an evening concert—in partnership with the Highland Green Foundation—to celebrate the 75th anniversary of The Glass House, a historic site in neighboring New Canaan, in October 2024. The Glass House was...
$4 Million Awarded to 24 Historic Faith Communities by National Fund for Sacred Places
The National Fund for Sacred Places, a program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is pleased to announce its 2024 grantees. Twenty-four historically significant faith communities have been admitted into...
After Years of Infiltration from the Elements, a Modernist Hotspot’s Iconic Tower is Restored
Despite its spectacular collection of Modernist architecture, Columbus, Indiana, has a surprising dearth of architects. Louis Joyner is one of just a handful of architects currently based in this small city of about 50,000 residents. So, when First Christian...
Let Freedom Ring Foundation: Sharing the Story of the First Baptist Church
In 2016, the First Baptist Church in Williamsburg, Virginia marked its 240th anniversary. The church was established for free and enslaved African Americans by Reverend Moses, a free Black itinerant preacher, and later led by Gowan Pamphlet, an enslaved man who served...
Stained-Glass Windows and a Chorus of Painted Angels Glow Again Inside a Chicago Church
Even if you’re a Chicago native, you likely haven’t stepped inside the Gothic Revival–style Second Presbyterian Church that sits on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Cullerton Street. It’s not that it isn’t eye-catching—its limestone exterior by architect James...
Bringing Light Back to Historic Houses of Worship
Light is a fundamental symbol of hope, goodness, redemption, justice, and survival across many faith traditions. From the Diwali diya (lamp) to the Jewish menorah to Advent wreath candles, light is a recognizable and unifying feature of religious practice and iconography worldwide.
Too often, however, historic houses of worship face challenges with outdated electrical and lighting systems. Among other issues, outdated lighting and wiring can render spaces unusable from lack of visibility and pose fire or security risks. These systems are typically expensive to replace and often take secondary priority to other urgent repairs such as roof replacements and water mitigation work. Yet installing lighting upgrades can have a drastic impact on the sense of place and life safety of historic houses of worship.