Holy Stones! AC Church Gets a Smithsonian Second Act

Part of a 168-year-old church being torn down in Atlantic City will live on at the Smithsonian.

The First Presbyterian Church of Atlantic City, on the corner of Pacific and Pennsylvania avenues, hasn't been used as a church for many years, but did serve as the home for Sister Jean's Soup Kitchen about a decade ago.

Located in the heart of the Atlantic City business district, a block away from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and the Boardwalk, the church building is in bad shape after years of neglect and is being demolished.

But the church has something that was very much needed by the world's largest museum, the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

AC Churches' Limestone Repurposed

The Smithsonian Institute is the world's largest museum, with close to 30 million visitors each year and over 50 museum buildings, libraries, and facilities in Washington, D.C.

But the Smithsonian Institute building, the Castle, is considered its signature building. and is its oldest.

Built in 1855, the Castle has been closed for over two years, undergoing its first major renovation in more than 50 years.

When it is open, the Castle is a museum and research complex, and it houses administrative offices and the Smithsonian Information Center.

The building is renowned for its Seneca red sandstone, which was quarried locally in Montgomery County, Maryland. The sandstone is known for its striking reddish-brown color and durability.

That sandstone is what the Castle and the First Presbyterian Church of Atlantic City have in common.

The First Presbyterian Church was also built with the same Seneca red sandstone from the same quarry. It is an exact match.

The Sandstone Reclamation

The South Jersey company that raised my house after Superstorm Sandy, S.J. Hauck Construction, has been tasked with rescuing the sandstone from the church to be used in the renovation of the Smithsonian's Castle.

Here is a description of the work from a recent S.J. Hauck Facebook post.

For those unaware, we’ve been tasked with preserving the stones of the church’s exterior in order to restore the Smithsonian Castle, which magically enough has stones from the exact same quarry and is the only viable option to ensure the castle itself stays true to original specs for future generations.