What happened to St. Mark's steeple?

St Mark's Church in Warren, RI presently has no steeple, although a tower existed at some point, as referenced in an Historical discourse delivered in St Mark's Church, Warren, RI [p 15] by rector William Nichols Ackley in 1878.

"On December 21st of this year [1839] a new bell, weighing 1950 pounds, was placed in the tower, the old one having broken.   Either a strange fatality must have haunted the bells of this church, or the good sextons must have displayed a singular energy in the ringing of them." 

Rector Ackley notes that the 1839 bell was the 3rd one purchased in the nine years since the church was built!


It turns out a hurricane weakened the bell tower and it had to be removed in 1945, according to an historical note from the Records of St Mark's Episcopal Church.  The records, which include annual reports, minutes of vestry meetings, parish registers, images, etc. are archived by Special Collections at the University of Rhode Island.


More curious than the missing steeple, however, is why the church would close its doors 2 years ago, after serving the Warren community for 180 years.  St Mark's, at 21 Lyndon Street, is located in Warren's eclectic historic district, and is currently for sale (asking price is $280,000).  A report on the WPRI web site blames a shrinking congregation and financial problems.  But why did the congregation decline?