To the New London community, the height of the First Congregational Church’s Union Street steeple was a testament to the city’s resilience and storied past.

Formed in New London in the 1600s, the church and state were not separated in New England and every resident’s taxes would go toward the church.

“You could go to another church, but you were [still] supporting the Congregational Church. It was that dominant. It was that powerful,” said Tom Couser, the board president of New London Landmarks.

In 1851, the First Congregational Church erected its Union Street location. Its towering size signified the city’s growing wealth as a whaling capital. In its heyday, the congregation’s Sunday afternoon crowd would fill the mansion-lined streets of State Street.

The church also held civic importance. Its steeple’s bell was used to call people to meetings and sound fire alarms. 

Today, that steeple no longer mantels the New London skyline. On Jan. 25, the structure collapsed, rendering it permanently impaired. The masonry ruins remain on the Union Street property more than a month later.

“It was a significant representation of the history of our city. The First Congregation[al], as it became more populous and affluent…built that magnificent structure,” said Michael Passero, mayor of New London. “We’ve lost a significant piece of our history with the collapse of the church.”

The cause of the collapse is still unknown. However, warnings of the steeple’s structural integrity were sounded by Lepold Eidlitz, the church’s architect, according to revelations initially made by David Collins, a columnist for The Day.

“He wrote a letter … to the to the congregation, and said, ‘Look, your contractor’s not doing this right,’” Couser said.