Sentiment is leaning towards demolishing the old St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Cobleskill.
That was the takeaway from a meeting last week, when parishioners discussed what to do with the landmark Elm Street church, which is in disrepair.
Slates have been falling from the roof of the vacant church, bricks are crumbling, and the foundation is in rough shape, and village Codes Officer Mike Piccolo banned occupancy in November.
Moving forward, parishioners must decide whether to restore the 1894 church or demolish it.
So far, demolition is the favored option, though there’s no final decision. Another meeting is coming up in about a month.
“There were about 35 people at our meeting, and all but one were not interested in restoring it,” said Leo McAllister, who’s on St. Vincent’s finance and building and grounds committee.
The old church has been used hardly at all since the new St. Vincent’s, adjacent on Washington Avenue, was dedicated in 1990.
The key issue is cost. Restoring would cost far more than demolition.
“People said, ‘What would we use it for?’ ” Mr. McAllister said about possible renovation last week’s discussion.
Because the church is in Cobleskill’s Historic District, the village Historic District Review Commission would have to approve demolition.
To support demolition, the parish could plead hardship because restoration is much more expensive, Mr. Piccolo said.
If demolition is the choice, the parish would likely have a green area and grotto with religious figures and bricks that could be saved from the church, Mr. McAllister said.
“We have some really sharp people who could do this,” he added. “We want it to look really nice.”
Last week’s meeting was held on a snowy evening, possibly limiting attendance. The next meeting, unscheduled so far, will be for parishioners and the public.