WATERBURY -- 135 years ago Trinity Episcopal Church was built, 135 years later, it's coming down.
"I didn't see a sign. I didn't read anything in the paper. This was done in a way that seems, and I'm not sure if it was done on purpose, seems secretive," said Joshua Angelus, vice president of the Hillside Historic District Neighbor Association.
Angelus has been the vice president of the neighborhood association for nearly 20 years.
He said the community had no idea the church was coming down.
"There should have been a community meeting to see what the community could do to re-purpose the building," said Angelus.
Mary Ortiz has lived across from Trinity for over 30 years and said the bulldozing is heartbreaking.
"It was sad but we can't do nothing," Ortiz said.
After an estimate, contractors found several other things wrong with the old church. It was a problem that was too costly to fix.
“We would have to spend approximately $750,000 not to renovate, just to repair,” said Father Christopher Ford of Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
One community member went as far as to create a Change.org petition to halt the demolition gaining over 800 signatures in 12 hours.
Church leaders said the cost to repair Trinity Church is too expensive and the demolition will be finished in about three weeks.
Father Ford said the space will be used as a parking lot.