On September 6th, 2017, Hurricane Irma caused severe damage to St. Augustine’s Church building as well as the Church Hall.
Over the succeeding months the Parish Vestry and the congregation have been involved in the removal of debris and the sourcing of material for the restoration.
Due to the great demand for materials in the aftermath of the hurricane on Anguilla and the other affected islands, the arrival of materials took longer than anticipated. As soon as the materials were received restoration work commenced on the roof of the worship area. This entailed more than just replacement. Close examination revealed that several pieces of wood had begun to rot. These had to be removed and replaced before the sheeting could be put in place. The work has been progressing nicely and in short time should be completed.
The restoration of the Hall will be the next phase. This will be a bigger project. Part of the structure dated back to the 1800s. It consisted of local stone and lime. Much of the wall was demolished and the roof blown off. The other section of the Church Hall was constructed in the 1960s. The roof of this section was also blown off.
The plan is to redesign the Hall, mindful of the future, and make it user friendly with modern equipment.
In the meantime the congregation is seeking to raise funds to meet the cost of restoration. A fund raiser will be held on Saturday, September 01, 2018 from 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on the grounds of the Old East End School. We are also hoping that our well-wishers and friends will partner with us in our drive. Any contribution will be gratefully received and applied.
