Rock Hill Presbyterian Church
By Ann Rubin
Rock Hill, MO (KSDK) - The effort to save an historic church in Rock Hill has gotten the green light.
Tuesday night the Board of Aldermen gave their blessing to a plan to move it.
It's going to take money to move the solid stone church across an intersection and down the block and the fundraising starts Wednesday.
Built in 1845, the Rock Hill Presbyterian Church was constructed with stone from a local quarry. It later gave the town its name, and it became an example of early racial integration.
"The church is a great symbol of that. It shows not just what we want to be now but who we've been," said Chris Musial with Citizens to Save the Rock Hill Church.
The building is set for demolition to make way for a gas station. They hope now the church can somehow be moved.
At a board of alderman meeting, they pitched their plan to move the church, and nearby historic Fairfax House, both to the Rock Hill Park. The estimated cost is about $800,000.
And while one alderman had concerns about locking in the location, the resolution ultimately passed.
Companies like Expert House Movers are already interested in the project and stopped by the site Tuesday night.
They say there's a lot of history on the line here, and with Rock Hill's blessing, the grassroots group says they'll now start looking for funding.
KSDK