Oct. 15th, 2024

The Rebuild effort of our 182-year-old St. James’ Church is progressing well.

Church Roof

We are eagerly awaiting delivery of the wooden beams and trusses required to support our new roof. These are being created by a local post and beam craftsman.

Ultimately, from the outside, the roof will be identical to the one destroyed by the fire. Tenders for the steel roofing have been issued for installation next spring. In the meantime, we have every expectation that the new roof deck will allow us to install weather-protective membrane before winter. This is essential to protect the interior and the stone foundation from the elements.

Church Interior

The interior of the church has been cleaned out. The walls have been taken down to the original stone. The new roof deck. and covering will allow interior work to be done during the winter.

Even though much work will remain, we are hopeful that we will be having services back in the church by sometime in the  spring.

We are still evaluating our energy needs and considering some kind of HVAC system to keep the church above freezing.

The Hall

Our other focus is to make the Large Hall functional for the up-coming winter months. The stairwell entrance to the basement is now protected by a temporary weatherproof covering and plans for temporary washroom facilities are under consideration.

To date, this hall has been been used for the safekeeping all that was salvaged from the church proper. We have hired a cabinetmaker to evaluate the condition of these items in order to help us decide what is restorable and what is not. Storage space has been found offsite for those are able to keep and restore.

We are eager for the return of our community groups – especially the Exercise Group who have been using the space on a daily basis for many years.

The Small Hall

The Small Hall was so severely damaged it had to be entirely demolished. The space between the Church and the Large Hall has since been completely cleared leaving it clean and open . . . all the better for imagining what is yet to come.  

We are looking forward to designing a new structure for this area, one that will be beautiful, welcoming and that will enhance community life in Hudson.

Financial Needs

The cost of all the repairs and replacing the Small Hall will probably surpass the $4.9 million insurance coverage which the church will receive. Once we have a better sense of how much the insurance will cover, fundraisers will be organized with community support to help defray any excess costs.

However, an informal combination of community events, donations made by cheque and the Go Fund Me Campaign has raised more than $35,000 to date.

Should you be interested in donating, there are many convenient ways to do so on the DONATIONS page of this website.