A little church in Blackwood will be renewed

The First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood traces its roots to the 1750s, when it was established by village founders hoping to draw settlers to their little community.

Since 1848, Presbyterians have been worshipping at East Church Street and North Black Horse Pike, in the heart of Blackwood, now a part of Gloucester Township.

But the building there is showing its age, and termite damage is a concern. With that in mind, church leaders are raising hundreds of thousands of dollars, aiming to make sure many more generations gather there.

Township Mayor Cindy Rau-Hatton said the church's central location in Blackwood makes it an important part of the community. She expects support for the project will come from all residents, not just the 200 congregants.

"The congregation is not only very involved in the church, but many of their members are involved throughout the community," Rau-Hatton said. "I think the community is coming together and will support the church however they can."

Joanne Hazzard, a church elder and member of the Building Vision Team, called the church "a familiar landmark. It's been a constant presence."

In town, "everybody refers to it as 'the church by the cemetery,' " she said.

The headstones in its sprawling cemetery, which stretches along North Black Horse Pike, carry names of generations of prominent local residents. Among those buried there are Jonas Livermore, who served as president of First National Bank of Camden and is credited with organizing the first Sunday school at the church, in 1832.

As for the church, the faded brick-faced building is constructed mostly of wood, making it the perfect meal for opportunistic termites.

Although structural evaluations of the church indicate it appears to be sound, Hazzard and the Rev. Michael Atzert, the pastor, said there is much work to be done.

Termites have chewed the underlying structure of the church's raised pulpit and have also damaged the sanctuary floor, both of which will have to be rehabilitated.

A meeting room at the back of the church needs a new roof and restructuring to prevent water damage. Roof crossbeams also need to be repaired, along with the bell tower and steeple, which contains a bell made by Philadelphia bell maker J. Bernhard.

Atzert said repairs likely will fall between $500,000 and $750,000.

He said that with a relatively small congregation, the church can't rely solely on its members to foot the bill.

Atzert said the church has broken its renovation plans into phases. The fund-raising goal for the first phase, which will tackle restoration of the raised pulpit and flooring, is projected at $120,000.

Last month, Hazzard organized a spaghetti-dinner fund-raiser that attracted an outpouring of support. It raised $5,000 of the total raised so far, almost $40,000.

"This church has very long roots in the community," Atzert said. "It's important to people who aren't even inside the church."

Hazzard said the church is implementing a capital campaign to finance the repairs. She and other members of the Building Vision Team have been reaching out to church members past and present for donations. They've also been disseminating information about repair efforts to the local community.

"The people in the area who live in Blackwood and come to the church - it's a major part of their lives," Hazzard said.