Family gives $100,000 to restore church

The donation is the largest in the park's history.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Park officials are closer to completing a $180,000 restoration project thanks, in part, to a hefty donation from one township family.
Local businessman and philanthropist Anthony Lariccia recently opened a local newspaper and noticed the renovation work being done to the St. James Meeting House. He also noticed the fund-raising campaign under way and $180,000 price tag attached to the project.
Lariccia called his wife, Mary, to discuss the project and the meeting house's importance to the community. Before long the couple had decided to donate $100,000 to the completion of the St. James restoration.
Church history
The St. James Episcopal Church was built in 1828 with funds and land donated by Henry Mason Boardman, son of Elijah Boardman, founder of the township. It is believed to be the first Episcopal church west of the Allegheny Mountains.
The church, originally built in the late 1820s near the U.S. Route 224 and Market Street intersection on the southeast corner of the Southern Park Mall property, was slated for demolition in the early 1970s until the Boardman Historical Society campaigned to save the structure. The campaign was a success, and the structure was moved to the park in 1972, where it has been a mainstay.
The meeting house, through the years, has become a consistent gathering place in the community for countless events and weddings.
Vital piece
Lariccia said losing such a vital piece of the community to age and weather would be tragic and the religious history of the building is equally as important.
"Today we need religion more than ever. People have gotten away from it and that is bad for our society," he said. "We saw what was needed and we wanted to do it because we are loyal Boardmanites and Youngstowners."
There were also sentimental feelings attached to the donation. Both Anthony and Mary Lariccia say looking at the meeting house reminds them of a small ceramic, old-style church that is placed under the family Christmas tree every year. The couple bought the decoration more than 30 years ago around the time they were married.
"There is a comfort in looking at beautiful churches, old churches. There is a peace in it," said Mary Lariccia. "History needs to be preserved and that is a historical landmark."
Dan Slagle, park executive director, said park officials were overwhelmed by the donation. He said the Lariccia family gift is the largest single donation to the park in its history.
According to Slagle, total donations to the project, including the Lariccia contribution, equal about $130,000. He said the gift has made completion of the project look much more promising.
"Mr. Lariccia's gift is a godsend to our fundraising efforts and has enabled us to reach 78 percent of our goal. His generosity, without question, exceeds any individual contribution we had hoped to receive," he said.
The upgrade work to the building will address lead-based paint concerns on the building's exterior and replacing worn and deteriorated mold and trim on the outside of the building.
jgoodwin@vindy.com