Founded in 1875 as a center for mediums, psychics, and other Spiritualists, the community of Cassadaga, Florida, has always had a unique character. And when John Ferro tried to build a Christian church—the town's first—residents complained it would disrupt the town's "spiritual vibrations" and subject them to unwelcome evangelism. (Other residents said they didn't fear the church, which has a regular attendance of 20, but worried about rumors it would offer a drug rehabilitation center.) After filing a federal lawsuit in May 2001, the church was granted approval in September, and the county agreed to pay the church $38,000 in legal fees. "I guess we don't have any other option," council Chairwoman Ann McFall told The Orlando Sentinel. Meanwhile, Ferro has tried to show goodwill by attending a Spiritualist service, which he described as "a little different." "We just believe the Lord said we were going to be here," he later told WESH-TV. "And we were moving on what he said to us."