Throughout the day, parishioners young and old gathered for a chance to reclaim as many relics as possible. Most were held off by the yellow tape that surrounded the church.

When Moyock Fire Chief William Forehand came out carrying the church's cast-iron bell on his shoulder, the crowd cheered. "It's not even cracked or anything," one woman exclaimed.

It was six years ago to the date that the parish celebrated Moyock Baptist's centennial.

"The saddest thing for me is, a hundred years of music that was collected there is now...

But just as people lamented the loss of church items, there were moments of rejoicing.

In addition to the bell, the original handwritten record of the church's founding was among items salvaged from the church secretary's office.