FREDONIA, N.Y. -- The clock tower of Family Church of Fredonia, badly damaged by fire, is meticulously and delicately coming down, one piece at a time. The plan is to rebuild from the May 4 fire while preserving the 165-year-old church below.

The tower itself is 132 years old, but the congregation itself only began calling the old First Baptist building home in 2017, after investing more than a million dollars.

"That's what we teach faith for, for the fire, for moments that we go through that we go through that are unexpected and crisis and derail us. That's what our faith in Jesus is, to get us through," said said Associate Pastor Scott Wise.

Lynda Marquardt traveled back home from Florida to ensure history is preserved. She's working with local leaders to make sure at least the clock hands, which aren't nearly as old as the structure, but still a piece of history, find a new home.

"It's a part of history and ironically, it's preserving a timepiece in time," Marquardt said.

Once the tower is down, a temporary roof will go up to guard against the winter. The inside still needs to be redone, starting with the classrooms and offices, then moving onto the chapel. All told, they hope to complete the work within a year.