Residents of Carle Place now have a state landmark right in their own backyards.

After an 18 month process, St. Mary's Episcopal Church, one of the oldest buildings in Carle Place, was recently declared an official New York State landmark site by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

"This favorable decision by the state is the culmination of months of dedication, hard work, extensive research and seemingly endless paperwork," stated Elaine Bruckner, a member of the vestry's Landmark Project Committee. Other members of the committee include Chairperson Edna Wasiewski, Raymond Parish, and John Wasiewski.

St. Mary's has long been a community landmark and center of activity since it first opened its doors in 1926. During its 72 year history, the building has served as a meeting place for various organizations within the Carle Place community. Classes from the Carle Place elementary school met in the church undercroft. Scouting groups, senior citizens groups, weight control groups, quilting societies, prayer societies and other groups have also used St. Mary's for their meetings.

The church's architecture is European in inspiration. On a trip to England, Reverend Richard Duffield Pope saw a little country church of great charm and he brought back a picture to serve as a model and design for the new missionary chapel in Carle Place.

In 1925, the Church of the Advent purchased six lots of land on Rushmore Ave., across from the public school, and the vestry appointed a chapel committee. The Chapel Committee then authorized the rector and clerk to enter into a contract with Edward Wickey for the construction of the chapel. On Dec. 19, 1926 just six months later, construction was far enough advanced so that the chapel was able to hold its first service of Holy Communion, conducted by Fr. Pope.

The church was established as an independent parish in 1952. To this day, it remains the only Protestant church in Carle Place. The only alteration to the original structure came in 1949 when safety regulations mandated that the vestry install another method of emergency egress from the undercroft.

Currently, a New York State Historical Preservation Society representative is working with the Landmark Project Committee to achieve National Landmark status for St. Mary's.

A ceremony will be held sometime in the future in honor of St. Mary's new landmark status.