GREENFIELD — As Franklin County’s YMCA discusses potential future uses for the long-vacant Zion Korean Church, Historical Commission Chair John Passiglia said the commission may consider invoking a demolition delay on the 1842 structure.

An anonymous donor helped the YMCA acquire the 463 Main St. church last spring, tasking the YMCA with either demolishing the structure to make room for program space, or renovating the building to bring it up to code. However, the church’s ties to the abolitionist movement brought the potential demolition to the Historical Commission’s attention.

“Because the building is in a historic district, because of its age and because it’s from the Quabbin and a number of prominent pastors spoke at the church, it is a very historically significant structure. There’s no doubt about that,” Passiglia said. “If [the YMCA] can’t afford to save the church and bring it up to the standard that they need to make it functional for them, then we’d have to try to come up with some other options.”

According to records from the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, a database featuring information on historic properties, the Greenfield Christian Scientist congregation purchased the Greek revival-style church and moved it to Greenfield in 1936. It was built as the Coldbrook Springs Baptist Church in Barre in the 1840s.

The church — which records indicate was, until recently, Greenfield’s oldest church still in use — had to be either demolished or moved to make room for the Quabbin Reservoir’s construction. It had served as a prominent location on the abolitionist lecture circuit there. When the building was featured in a 2021 walking tour highlighting Greenfield’s ties to the Underground Railroad and abolitionist movement, Greenfield High School history teacher Luke Martin explained that speakers such as William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass had spoken at the church when it was in Barre.

Franklin County’s YMCA CEO Grady Vigneau said he has toured the structure, both with Passiglia as well as with contractors, while considering the Y’s options for reuse of the neighboring property. He said that although it would be much more expensive to renovate the church than demolish it, the organization is still reviewing all of its options.

“There’s a back part of the building where the foundation is literally crumbling, so how do we fix that? I’ve had an architect come in and tell us what our options are. We’ve looked at everything and we’ve talked to the Historical Commission on several occasions. We’re in no hurry to make a decision because we don’t need to,” Vigneau said. “We’re looking at all options. … We’re just trying to sort out what is the best move for us, what’s the best outcome for the city and, most importantly, what is the best outcome for the families of our community.”

With YMCA membership growing significantly year by year, Vigneau said the Y’s acquisition of the church gives the organization the space it needs to continue to grow in Greenfield without having to relocate to another city or town. Although no final determinations have been made for the site’s future use, Vigneau said in the last year, the Y sent a community feedback survey to roughly 900 respondents and received an overwhelming demand for the creation of child care space.

Passiglia noted that Vigneau and other YMCA affiliates have been very proactive and communicative in creating plans for the church. He added that should a demolition delay be invoked, it would be for the sole purpose of trying to encourage alternatives to demolition. Under Greenfield’s bylaws, the Historical Commission has the right to delay demolition of historically relevant properties for up to six months.

“Everybody on the commission is in favor of the YMCA’s mission, everybody supports the YMCA and their programs … We respect that and we don’t want to be in the way of that,” Passiglia said. “It’s a difficult thing for us to try to navigate because we hate to see the loss of an important structure like the church. It’s definitely iconic.”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.