Little chapel where it all began for couples
It was a trip back in time for Derry and Valerie McCauley.
The Orchard Park, N.Y., couple began their married life on July 28, 1985, inside the cozy confines of Holloway Memorial Chapel in Crystal Beach.
On Sunday they were marking their 34th wedding anniversary back at the small white church on Point Abino Road with more than 200 people to help celebrate the chapel’s 125th anniversary.
“We wanted a really small wedding,” Valerie said. “And we both loved the chapel.”
The chapel had always been a part of Valerie’s life. Her family owned a summer home in Point Abino and Sunday services were a part of the routine for family.
The couple met in Buffalo while taking part in a recreational volleyball league. Derry, who wasn’t a member of a team, was roped in at the last minute.
“I was a substitute,” he said with a chuckle. “She’s the one who can play.”
The McCauleys are practising Presbyterians in their home church, but when summering in Point Abino they appreciate the chapel’s nondenominational structure.
“There’s always a different speaker,” Valerie said. “It’s very interesting to get a different point of view.” Derry agreed. “It’s just sort of nice not to have to follow the same regimen every Sunday.”
Marsha Henderson, who has helped plan the anniversary events, said the turnout doubled normal attendance for services at the chapel — about 100 people.
“It was a fitting tribute for the 125th anniversary,” she said.
As a part of the season-long celebration at the chapel, Sunday’s event was attended by 15 couples who, like the McCauleys, had chosen the chapel to tie the knot.
“We had one couple here who’ve been married 43 years,” Rasmussen said.
The chapel was established in 1894 — predating the point’s landmark lighthouse by 21 years — by Harriet Holloway Stafford and James B. Stafford in memory of Mrs. Stafford’s parents, Isaac and Mary Ann Holloway. The Holloway family and descendants continue as longtime residents of the area.
This season, five weddings will take place at the chapel.
The church continues to hold weekly summer services on Sundays at 10 a.m. The chapel is at 1025 Point Abino Rd. S.