A church built on Tybee Island for the Miley Cyrus movie filmed during the summer was supposed to be the temporary site of only one service - a made-for-Hollywood funeral.
Because of efforts by the city of Tybee and the island's historical society, however, the church now has a future as the location for happier, actual events - including weddings.
The one-room, 2,000-square-foot church was constructed on a vacant lot at 6th Avenue and 13th Street over the span of about six weeks specially for the Disney movie, "The Last Song."
Sometime soon - possibly this week - the building will be moved to Tybee Island Historical Society property in the Fort Screven area and used as a venue for exhibits, receptions and weddings, according to Sarah Jones, director of operations for the society.
Sara said that, "for a while," the star of "The Last Song," Miley Cyrus, wanted to have the church relocated to her family's property in Tennessee. But, Sarah said, Historical Society Executive Director Cullen Chambers and Tybee city officials "lobbied for it to stay here, and Disney said we could have it."
"We have to pay to move it and get it up to code," said Sarah, referring to work costing about $100,000. Chambers placed the value of the building in the $250,000 to $350,000 range.
To make the church a permanent structure, the plastic windows of the wood-framed, Craftsman-style church will be replaced, as will the tin roof and the piers the building rests on will be heightened.
The church will be moved to a site south of the Tybee Island Light Station - to an area off the lighthouse grounds that now serves as a parking lot for Historical Society staff members.
The moving will be done by Braswell Brothers of Statesboro, and the roof of the building will be removed for the trip from the southern portion of the island to the north end. The replacement roof will be added immediately after the move, Sarah said, and it will be stronger than the original so as to bear a higher wind load and meet building-code requirements.
Plans call for raising the needed $100,000 to be accomplished by, said Sarah, "asking people if they're willing to donate a chair, lighting, ceiling fans - everything from the roof to landscaping."
"Donors will have their names on plaques saying they donated items, for five dollars to 100 to 20,000 - we'll take it all," she said.
A subcommittee of the Historical Society board of directors, consisting of Joe Amlung, Jane Coslick, Mimi Ferrelle, Paul Jackson, Sally Jett and Kevin Sofa, has been working on the church relocation and fundraising.
Although the church burns in the movie, the building was not actually set on fire. Special effects were used to simulate the blaze, and while there was some scorching of the exterior and interior of the building, there was no structural damage, said Sarah.
As a community gathering place, the church will seat about 80, with some of that seating on 11 solid-oak pews used in the filming that were also a gift from Disney.
"We'll put the pews against the walls and at the front of the church," said Sarah. "Seating in the middle will be free-standing.
"This will be a great gallery space," she said, referring to the church's prospects as a venue for art shows. "There are so many possibilities with this building."
Fittingly, she said, the building also has a spot in Tybee lore, having been an element in a summer-long event - the movie filming - that caused considerable excitement in southeast Georgia.
"In 30 years, it will be a part of the history of the island," Sarah said.
Digital Network:
Social Networking:
Savannahnow.com, Savannah Morning News ©2011. All Rights Reserved.