Recent Restoration Grant Requires Match to Ensure Preservation of Tower of Historic St. Ann's Church

A historic Brooklyn Heights church is getting some help in ensuring its legacy remains intact.

St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church was awarded a $250,000 matching grant last month by the National Fund for Sacred Places, which parish leaders said will make way for efforts to restore and preserve the exterior of the facility’s tower.

The funding comes from a collaboration between the Partners for Sacred Places and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The partnership creates grants for religious properties on the National Register of Historic Places, a roster on which the Episcopal parish at the corner of Montague and Clinton streets has been since 1987.

Securing this funding is a highly competitive procedure and after two unsuccessful attempts, St. Ann’s administration was delighted to finally receive the award.

“We are thrilled and grateful that this grant will open a path to long overdue repair and strengthening of the tower’s masonry, which has suffered substantial weathering, material loss and damage over the years,” said Canon John Denaro, rector of St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church and Pro-Cathedral.

The church now has 12 to 18 months to raise the matching amount of $500,000. If they do, the sanctuary will have $750,000 to begin the multi-million dollar renovations.

The partnership with the National Fund for Sacred Places goes beyond just providing funds as they will train and support the church in their fundraising efforts, according to Canon John.

“They are invested in your success,” he said. “We have our work cut out for us [but] we believe we’re ready. We’re going to rely on some significant fundraising throughout our capital campaign.”

St. Ann & the Holy Trinity church will also seek support from their congregation and neighboring diocese.

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.

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