Volunteers say tiny Smithtown church needs some TLC 

A small group of volunteers is working to preserve a nearly 200-year-old Smithtown church they say still holds meaning for them and the community six decades after its doors closed.

Built in 1834, Smithtown Landing Avenue Methodist Church was once known as The Little Church in the Woods.

At its peak, it was the hub of activity for Smithtown's Landing area, according to Kimm Schmidt, president of Landing Ladies Auxiliary.

The organization, which is open to women and men, is working to repair the tiny white church on Landing Avenue that closed in 1957 due to dwindling attendance.

Auxiliary members say that work isn't easy.

Overall, the building needs interior restoration, painting, window restoration, siding removal, shutter replacements and a more accessible entrance, among other repairs, according to Schmidt.

She said total repairs to the church would cost roughly $100,000.

Auxiliary volunteer Loretta Criscuoli said the 189-year-old church has a special meaning for her because it was where she and her husband, Vinny Caridi, married in 2021 after she was hospitalized with COVID-19.

“It was just a great ceremony … This is a very special place for me,” said Criscuoli, 64, of Kings Park, while sitting in a pew with fellow volunteers.

Auxiliary member Allison McCann said her fascination with local history and the chance to meet new people inspired her to get involved with the church.

“I saw it as an opportunity to meet people, like my neighbors or local people who know about this rich history that I’m interested in,” said McCann, 30, of Smithtown. “There are a lot of things that you can learn about your home that are almost forgotten history."

Group members said they have painted the exterior of the church and lent a hand from time to time with interior maintenance, although specialized companies have to do the heavier work. Outside, a separate group of volunteers maintains the cemetery. 

Auxiliary volunteers say they primarily work on outreach and promoting the church so they can gather donations and attract more volunteers to help take care of the church — something McCann said can be difficult at times.

To spread word-of-mouth, the auxiliary holds open houses, where the public can tour the historic church, and rents the building for weddings, religious services and other events.

The group recently started a GoFundMe page to try to collect $20,000 for window repairs. Schmidt said they also are trying to get the building added to the New York State Register of Historic Places, so there would be eligibility for certain grants that could assist with maintenance and building repair.

Despite the tedious work, Schmidt said a recent open house — where attendance reached 100 people — showed why it's worth keeping a part of local history alive.

"Ninety-eight of them were people who lived in the area, who have passed the church their whole entire life and had never been inside,” Schmidt said. “That’s usually what I hear when we open the doors and that is why we open the doors."