Work is underway to save Haverstraw's Calvary Baptist Church.

The church, built in 1823, is one of the oldest buildings in Haverstraw.

Wilbur Aldridge, the Mid-Hudson regional director of the NAACP and chairman of the church's Board of Trustees, says the building began coming apart after Irene, Sandy and Lee, plus being shaken by a small earthquake.

An engineer was called in who said that the building was unsafe.

One wall is going to be rebuilt and another is being braced to prevent a collapse.

The price tag for the restoration project is almost $500,000. The money is coming from donations, as there are no government grants available.

Engineers say the repair work should be done by the end of December. Church officials hope to have a grand reopening in late January.