The effort to save St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jersey City has lasted more than three decades. After the Newark Episcopal Diocese closed the struggling house of worship in 1994, two generations of preservationists have fought to wrest the church from the specter of demolition and collapse — with some of the fiercest proponents of saving this landmark passing away without much reassurance that it would be restored.
Certainly one of the most important milestones in this effort came earlier this month when a plan to restore the church — and build a multi-story apartment building beside it — won unanimous approval from the city’s Zoning Board.
The plan to save it is impressive considering the state of disrepair the church is in — it is barely holding on despite lacking a roof and concerns about the structural stability.
“Luckily these old buildings are so well built — even without the roof, the stone wall and iron beams have been holding it up,” said John Gomez, founder of the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy…