Repairs have begun on a Belleville church heavily damaged during Superstorm Sandy.
The former Dutch Reform Church, now known as "La Senda Antigua," was badly damaged during the storm.
Workers said the church's steeple was never in any danger of falling over, but the damage the church sustained meant it would not survive another storm of Sandy's magnitude without repairs.
The small congregation has been trying for the past two years to raise $30,000 needed so that the church would be eligible for a $250,000 FEMA grant for historical properties.
The church was built in 1697. Over 60 Revolutionary War soldiers are buried in the cemetery behind the church.
Repairs on the church are expected to last throughout the summer. The pastor hopes to have a rededication by Christmas.