Another Ornate Philadelphia Church faces the wrecking ball

This is actually just an attempt to see if I can successfully upload a photo from my phone, but comments are welcome. :slight_smile:

I see no reason to preserve that crumbling artifact. I would like to see as much of its materials recycled as possible though. I am a firm believer in recycling all building materials possible.

I disagree, the architecture is gorgeous, and so unique compared to the cookie cutter buildings of the modern day.

In my city there have been several churches that have been unconsecrated and converted into secular use. Can you imagine renovating this church and turning it into a brewery/restaurant?

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I agree 100 percent. Architectural is unique, one that hasn’t been duplicated in a century or so. Who knows in another 100 years it will come back but I highly doubt it. Today people build to profit. Churches like this was built to stand the test of time and era that it was built.

JMHO Based on my time spent in rustbelt states,I see they can barely afford needed infrastructure let alone preservation causes.
Don’t like to see stuff like this happen but i can see why it does. Hard Times.

That would be fabulous.

Uniqueness is irrelevant. The owner has ownership and a demolition permit. Obviously the community couldn’t have cared less or else it would never have fallen into such a state of disrepair.

Apartments or some retail stores would be far more beneficial to the community.

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It neither stood the test of time or really withstood the era it was built in.

While preservation is nice when possible, the desires and rights of the private property owner ALWAYS come first.

The property owner wishes to demolish the structure. Therefore that is what should happen.

While it might have been laudable to attempt to preserve the architecture of the building, that is not how it worked out.

The repairs alone for the damage the collapse of the spire caused, in 2014, were estimated at $8 million dollars. The owner did some roofing repairs, that allowed some occupants to stay there longer, but the full restoration the owner had planned just turned out to be too costly.

Apparently the current owner wants ti build apartments there. That’s a very positive sign. A lot of NE cities have been losing a lot of population to the burbs.

Philly, which has kind of a youth scene and has always been is wide-sprawling for a city of its population. has lost far less than others, but if someone is willing bet on a demand for nee construction that is a silver lining to the cloud.

The Church I was raised in, and that my mother still attends has the same sort of architecture, I think it was built in the 19 oughts. I’m fond of the look.

No doubt the church in question here was a vision in its day. That day is long gone.

I did learn that crews are at the least in the building preserving as much of the stained glass windows as possible.

Highly applaud that!

Definitely.

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Its more economical for the restoration of this church than Paris’ Nortre-Dame.

Since this thread has been necropsied, here is an update.

The building is beyond 50% demolished. A seven story apartment building with ground floor retail and underground parking will be built on the 1 acre site.

That ^^

If someone wants it preserved, they can buy it and preserve it.

I wish I had the $$ for that. But I don’t. So I don’t have a say in it.

A church is not a building.
Nor a specific location.

If they want to keep the location closed on sundays, they can replace the church with a Chic Fil A.

What a shame, a lot of those east coast city churches are beautiful.