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The St. Thomas’ Community of Faith began in 1875 with services conducted by the Rev. Thomas Cook of Riverhead in the homes of Judge Cogswell, Mr. Hammond and others. Two years later Bishop Littlejohn, first bishop of Long Island, laid the cornerstone for a church building on a lot on Conklin Street given by John and Mary Noon. On May 11, 1878 the completed church, 23 feet by 50 feet, was opened or worship.
The following year horse sheds were constructed to accommodate the teams of horses of those who came to worship. By its tenth anniversary in 1885 St. Thomas’ had a resident Priest-in-Charge, the Rev. Dr. John A. Morgan: the Sunday School had 100 students and all debts had been paid.
In 1885 St. Thomas’ Church was totally lost in a fire. Sadly, the insurance had lapsed. Dr. Morgan left and services were conducted by the Rev. James. O.S. Huntington OHC who had founded the Order of the Holy Cross in the previous year. The St. Thomas congregation tackled the loss of their church by converting the horse sheds into “a very pretty chapel”.
In 1905 the cornerstone was laid for a new church building and the following year it was completed and consecrated by the Rt. Rev. Frederick Burgess, second Bishop of Long Island. A rectory was purchased. It is surmised that this first Rectory was the little house at 293 Conklin Street.
Foundations were prepared, and bricks and lumber form the former Convent used by the Sisters of St. John the Baptist were transported to the site from Route 110 by the men of the parish and used to build the Parish Hall. This was opened on October 22, 1922 with a weeklong celebration.
In 1923 the present Rectory 290 Conklin Street was acquired.
The year 1951 brought the addition of the Our Lady of Walsingham window. 1953 saw a new Altar and sanctuary furniture and the following year a memorial Altar Rail was added. Then followed the renovation of the Parish Hall and addition of a new kitchen. This era of growth continued with extension of the Church in 1958 and building of a new steeple. In 1958 the St. Francis Garden was blessed and the next year new pews installed. A fund started in 1962 to purchase a pipe organ was fully subscribed by members. (This organ was replaced after the fire of 1996 with a new pipe organ built by Schantz in 1998.)
A renovated Parish Hall, and a restored and beautified Rectory were two accomplishments of the members of St. Thomas during Fr. Hoopes incumbency. Then in 1996 tragedy struck in the form of a fire that destroyed the roof and interior of beloved St. Thomas’ Church. Later on, the morning of the fire Fr. Hoopes declared “We will rebuild.” With the help of so many community groups and insurance money, and with the determination of the Rector and Vestry, the Church was rebuilt in a year! The simple beauty St. Thomas, with its atmosphere of prayer and loving worship, impresses all who enter.
We installed a labyrinth in 2017 with benches and a memorial brick path. St. Thomas received a Creation Grant for holy walks and labyrinth walks. There are benches on either side for those who would like to just sit and reflect and pray if they do not want to do a labyrinth walk.