Saint Andrew’s Dune Church

St. Andrew’s Dune Church, one of Southampton’s most picturesque and beloved landmarks, was founded in 1879 as St. Andrew’s-by-the-Sea. Both the building and its furnishings are of particular historical significance, presenting evidence of Southampton’s rich nautical past and cultural heritage. What exists now as the central part of the nave was originally the lifesaving station erected in 1851 on the east shore of Lake Agawam, headquarters for local crews who braved storm-tossed seas to rescue shipwrecked sailors off Long Island’s treacherous coast. Upon the completion of a new lifesaving station, the original was purchased by the acknowledged leader of the budding summer colony, Dr. T. Gaillard Thomas. Dr. Thomas presented it to the church in 1879 to be used as an Episcopal chapel and it was moved to oceanfront land donated by his friend C. Wyllys Betts. Additions were made between 1883 and 1894 and refinements and decorations were added following designs by architect R.H. Robertson, a summer resident whose credits include the first Rogers Memorial Library. Services were held, as they still are, in the summer with a congregation heavy on seasonal residents. At first, access was obtained by foot or horse. An exception was Mrs. Frederic H. Betts who crossed Lake Agawam from her home “Mocomanto” in a gondola purchased on a trip to Venice. The nautical motif is carried out inside the church with texts and objects associated with the seafaring life. Among all the treasures on view, the priceless collection of stained-glass windows, including nine signed by Tiffany works, are perhaps the most prized. When the fierce 1938 Hurricane nearly destroyed the church, its devoted congregants rose to the challenge, combing the grounds and even the beach for shards of the precious windows. In the end all but seven were salvaged and the church was entirely restored. The altar was left intact. It depicts the “Fishers of Men” scene forth gospels of Matthew and Mark showing fishermen Peter, Andrew, James and John. St. Andrew’s continues to hold services in the summer with eminent visiting clergy speaking from the pulpit.