“Historically, the old people I’ve talked to say there was a bar and a church on every corner,” Mr. Adams said. St. Martin’s was taken over by a black congregation under the Rev. A fire in 1939 left the building badly damaged, but as Father Johnson’s parishioners made plans to rebuild, they commissioned the carillon. Mr. Merriweather said that St. Martin’s did not replace him. What has played out at St. Martin’s over the last few months has been a complicated tale of architects and contractors, some brought in by the lay leaders of the church, others by the Episcopal diocese.

Source: New York Times September 30, 2018 14:00 UTC