Union Chapel in the Grove opens its 150th anniversary season with Homecoming/ Heights Memorial Sunday, where copies of a new book celebrating the milestone will be on sale, and its author will speak.
Author Carrie Cooperider is the featured speaker for the service on Sunday, June 19, at 10:30 AM. She’ll even sign your copy of the book, “All Are Welcome: 150 Years of Shelter Island’s Union Chapel in the Grove 1872 to 2022.”
Olive Reich, a nationally known artist and Union Chapel trustee, painted the beautiful watercolor on the book’s cover. It sets the tone for Cooperider’s updated history of Union Chapel. Page through this glossy book and you’ll understand how much effort was poured into its creation.
Stewart Herman wrote the first history of the Chapel, “God’s Summer Cottage,” in 1980.
“The first discussions about the book came after Dr. Herman’s passing in 2006,” Chairman Jay Sterling said. There was an “expressed need” to update the book, but without an in-house author, it didn’t happen.
When the trustees combined the traditional Homecoming Service with the Heights Memorial Service in 2012, the Chapel’s history became more entwined with the Heights heritage. And, as the 150th anniversary loomed, it was time to get serious in writing a book to update the Chapel’s history.
150th Anniversary book
Trustee Kathy Dinkel, head of the historical committee, was tasked with making the book happen. She formed a committee of fellow trustees, including Shelby Mamdani, Susan Ciaccio, Joan Wicks, Christina Cunningham, Ed Hydeman, Susannah Carrier, and Dave Larsen.
“From the start,” Sterling said, “the trustees’ intention was to have the book be historically rigorous since such a project would not be undertaken again in our lifetimes.”
Dinkel agreed. “Originally, the book was only to be 80 pages of text and 55 photographs,” she said. However, Cooperider’s extensive research uncovered a wealth of interesting facts and stories, and ultimately, the finished book was much longer.
The process was not without difficulty. The Dinkels opened their Heights home to Cooperider so she could scan, organize and archive the tremendous amount of materials in the Chapel’s possession. Among them are historic photos, letters, memos, minutes from board meetings, Yacht Club memorabilia, and newspaper clippings.
Then the pandemic hit.
Locked down on the other S.I.
Cooperider, a writer and visual artist, lives on Staten Island with her husband, David Fetherolf, a composer. Before writing the Union Chapel history, she had never visited Shelter Island and didn’t know its history. Suddenly, she couldn’t get to the Island any longer, nor did she have access to collections at the Shelter Island Historical Society or Shelter Island Public Library.
The Historical Society, including former collections manager Nadean Hornstein and archivist Rachel Lucas, was helpful before the lockdown. But without direct access to the collection, Cooperider prevailed upon volunteers and online archives and dug in, writing most of the text at home on the other S.I.
Many people associated with the Chapel also pitched in, including trustees, previous preachers, and other Chapel friends who were generous with their time, agreeing to be interviewed. Cooperider credits the committee, too.
“Each member brought a particular point of view and critical eye to our meetings about the progress of the book,” she said. “They read and commented on multiple drafts of all the chapters.”
The committee chose images for the book and commissioned new photos of the stained glass windows and other scenes. Jerry Kelly designed the book; Kathy Matthews Hills was the copy editor; Stacey Fishkelta proofread the manuscript, and Cindi Pietrzyk indexed the contents.
As a result of the book project, the Chapel’s collection is now archived at the Shelter Island History Center, where it is preserved and available for the public to view.
“The Chapel is fortunate to have the vision and resources to undertake the 150th Anniversary project,” Mr. Sterling said, “and to have selected Carrie Cooperider to be the author.”
Homecoming/Heights Memorial Sunday
Sunday’s service not only celebrates Shelter Island Heights and Chapel’s founding in 1872 but also honors Heights residents who passed away since last June.
As the Chapel’s antique bell tolls, John Kenney, chairman of the Shelter Island Heights Property Owners Corporation, will read these names: Victoria (Vitti) Laxton, Mary Elizabeth Allen, Robert A. Moderelli, Vincent (Joe) Cunningham, Elizabeth Jones Crandall, and Edith A. Hoffman.
Basically Baroque will perform music by Haydn and Fasch. Making up the trio are:
- Jean Hendrickson (flute), who teaches ESL at Stony Brook University, studied with Katherine Borst Jones at Oberlin College and studied at the French flute school with Linda Chesis
- Bill Packard (flute), the trio founder (in 1994 with Arthur Swan, Jeannie Woelker, and Virginia Jones), studied flute at the Eastern Suffolk School of Music with Jan Benson, Linda Wetherill, and Luann Peskanov
- Jeannie Woelker (cello), a teacher with 20 years of experience, studied music at Boston Conservatory of Music, CW Post College, and Stony Brook University, and performs with Basically Baroque, The Cottage Trio, Suono Duo, and the Hidden City Orchestra
The service will take place outdoors in the leafy grove; a reception catered by STARs Café follows. There is limited outdoor seating available; please bring a chair if you can. In case of rain, the service will move indoors.
Next Sunday: Bill Gordh, storyteller and banjoist, leads the Children’s Service on June 26 at 10:30 AM. “We Can Be the Light” will be an interactive service for children of all ages and adults.
JoAnn Kirkland assists the Board of Trustees of Union Chapel in the Grove
