TARPON SPRINGS — It’s hard to talk about the city of Tarpon Springs without talking about the Greek Culture, they are intertwined. The city’s most famous church is leaning on its Greek heritage to support its biggest restoration project to date.
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church has been a staple in the Tarpon Springs community since 1943. They are looking for the community’s help with a capital campaign called, “A legacy of faith; a future of hope.”
Watch report from Robert Boyd
“The biggest issues are water intrusion, and we’ve watched it kind of progress over time without doing a lot to mitigate and finally it gets to the point, ‘wow we got to do something,’” said Dale Terrell.
Terrell has been a caretaker at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church for more than a decade. He notices every time there’s a new crack or chip in the paint.
“The biggest thing with a project like this is raising some money, and this is a good deal of money, because first of all the project is on the outside building and the even bigger project will be on the inside,” said Terrell.
The goal is to raise six million dollars through donations and fundraisers. However, Terrell said what you can’t put a price on is the artwork inside, like the stain glass windows, chandeliers and paintings.
“Certain things can be removed and then restored and certain things can’t, so that will all be part of this project as well and we have experienced people working on that,” said Terrell.
He did say the church has good reason to be optimistic in the community’s generosity and hopes to begin renovations by the end of the year.
“You know it’s hard to overstate how important it is for these people in this town,” said Terrell. “This is one of the most visited attractions in North Pinellas County and I say, 'if you haven’t seen the church, you haven’t seen Tarpon Spring.”'
For more information, go here
Share Your Story with Robert
We all take pride in where we live, and Robert Boyd takes pride in highlighting North Pinellas County. Concerns and triumphs from Clearwater to Tarpon Springs and everywhere in-between, Robert is here for you. Just use the form below to reach out to Robert.
.
St. Pete council stalls plan for more residential parking in downtown neighborhoods
The St. Pete City Council has decided not to move forward with a plan to add more residential parking options in neighborhoods like Historic Kenwood.
