Group drops challenge against Carson City church

A Washington, D.C.-based group won't sue Carson City over a payment to help preserve a church that Mark Twain helped raise money to build.

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State likely wouldn't be able to get a court to force First Presbyterian Church to return $78,800 it received from the city, said Alex Luchenitser, attorney for the group.

The city gave the church the money in January. It helped pay for a $2.3 million project that improved the original 1860s church building and constructed a new usable building next door.

The money reimbursed the church for work on new sidewalks, landscaping and roofing that would prevent leaks into both buildings.

Americans United sent Carson City a letter in February, saying the city violated the First Amendment by paying for work on a building used for religious practices.

The group might consider a lawsuit if the city offers any more payments to the downtown church, Luchenitser said Wednesday.

"I hope they will have enough sense not to do this again," he said.

City Supervisor Robin Williamson said the group didn't understand that the payment had nothing to do with religion. The city's only purpose was to preserve a historic structure, she said.

The church is one of the oldest in the state. Twain was one of the fundraisers for the original building finished in 1864, according to the church. His brother, Orion Clemens, was an active member.

First Presbyterian asked to tear down the old building in 2005 because it was structurally unsound and unusable. The city rejected the request, but gave the church $67,700 for design costs for the new building.

Bruce Kochsmeier, senior pastor at the church, said the challenge wasn't a worry once he learned Americans United would have trouble trying to force the church to return the money.

He said he got calls of support from across the country.

"I told them, 'It looks like we don't need advocacy,'" he said. "'We got the check.'"

- Contact reporter Dave Frank at dfrank@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.