Submitted Photo A new sign has been installed in front of the Family Church in Fredonia.

May 4, 2018, in Fredonia could have been one of the most demoralizing evenings in village history. Around 6:30 p.m., the Family Church and its clock tower at Temple and Church streets was an inferno.

Quick work by the village Fire Department saved the structure, but major damage — including that of water — had been done.

But, to their credit, the parish believed — and rose again. Today, the structure is magnificent. The tower has been reconstructed and the interior is pristine.

It is, in a sense, a new beginning. “In 2020, we’ll be working out plans to start tours of the building at various times,” Associate Pastor Scott Wise said in a recent OBSERVER article. “A lot of folks in the community are excited to see the church. In the meantime, everyone is welcome to see it during our Sunday morning services, which start at 10 a.m.”

Major credit to all who donated to get the building repaired — and to church members and staff who never gave up or lost sight of their mission in restoring an important village structure.