Abandoned America

The demolition of St. Bonaventure
Gallery/info: https://www.abandonedamerica.us/st-bonaventure

#abandoned #art #photography

Philadelphia's Abandoned St. Bonaventure Roman Catholic Church | Abandoned America

St. Bonaventure's demolition was as swift as is was heartbreaking. Built in 1906, it was closed in 1993. Rather than finance $77,000 in repairs to the steeple, the city tore it down for a million. Here at the shots of it being destroyed, by Matthew Christopher of Abandoned America.

Dec 19, 2022 at 5:22pmMastodon for Android
Show threadJ🍩hn FünkDec 19, 2022
@AbandonedAmerica There's a metaphor for the state of religion in there somewhere.
Show threadTJJohn12Dec 19, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica -

The fact they didn't salvage that stained glass breaks my heart.

Show threadFardels BearDec 19, 2022
@AbandonedAmerica I'd never realised before that the 'stone' columns in some modern churches might be fake. Looks very much like they're hollow. I feel slightly cheated.
Show threadAbandoned AmericaDec 19, 2022
@riggbeck oh boy, a lot of churches have this, I hate to tell you 😬
Show threadSean GroarkeDec 20, 2022
@riggbeck @AbandonedAmerica Fakery? In a church?? Outrageous suggestion! ;-)
Show threadAbandoned AmericaDec 20, 2022
@iworm haha touche
Show threadGremrielDec 19, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica In my town there's a steep decline in religion, and a lot of churches are decommissioned.

But there are several churches that have been converted to housing and community centers, trying to keep the architecture as intact as possible.

Show threadJasper 🍉Dec 19, 2022

@Gremriel @AbandonedAmerica in the Netherlands too, well a while ago, i guess.. But the churches are still standing..

And here in Eindhoven i can pretty much stand at the door of one and throw a rock hitting the door of another. (hyperbole)

Show threadGremrielDec 19, 2022
@jasper I'm in Tilburg 😀
Show threadAbandoned AmericaDec 20, 2022
@jasper @Gremriel I agree, that's why it upsets me too. I don't care as much about the religion aspect as I do the cultural history
Show threadAbandoned AmericaDec 20, 2022
@Gremriel That's the best outcome, I think. We may not need all the churches but we do need housing
Show threadAdmiralFrostyDec 19, 2022
@AbandonedAmerica This looks so sad, like it was bombed in WWII.
Show threadSeth D. AlfordDec 19, 2022

@AdmiralFrosty @AbandonedAmerica
Except that the pews look more modern than the 1940s.

But I agree that it's sad.

What gets me sad is I think about all the people who spent time holding auctions, asking congregants for contributions, selling candy bars, asking to have the name of a deceased loved one etched onto a brick or onto a small placque on one of those pews, etc., all for the building fund. But the building is being torn down despite all that.

Show threadjstolteDec 19, 2022

@AbandonedAmerica
Thank you for the photo gallery and the thorough description. I grew up in the area and sometimes attended services there in the 60s. #Philly #Fairhill

https://mastodon.social/@AbandonedAmerica/109541494452382425

Show threadAbandoned AmericaDec 20, 2022
@jstolte Oh, how cool - what do you remember about it?
Show threadjstolteDec 20, 2022
@AbandonedAmerica
I remember the gothic tower that dominated the neighborhood as you can imagine with the two story houses, the pillars and all the archways which are still visible in your photos. It also had a nicely painted ceiling. I knew about the requirement to be of German descent to register in the parish but I didn't know of the connection to St. Boniface (always a nice view from the el train). I was there a few times in the mid 60s before delivering Sunday morning newspapers.
Show threadAbandoned AmericaDec 20, 2022
@jstolte thanks so much for sharing that. I so wish I could have seen it then. I'm sure it was stunning
Show threadjstolteDec 20, 2022
@AbandonedAmerica
It was very impressive and ornate. I liked how the columns and archways seemed like little rooms on the side aisles. The original beauty still shows in your photos.
Show threadYellowsalmonDec 19, 2022
@AbandonedAmerica 😭
Show threadJohn LuskDec 20, 2022
@AbandonedAmerica
😢
@ProfB
Show threadJD🌊Dec 20, 2022
@AbandonedAmerica People celebrated their lives there. Weddings, funerals, singing. Too bad it couldn't be repurposed into a community center or something.
Show threadAbandoned AmericaDec 20, 2022
@jeandiva it really left a hole in the community, literally and figuratively
Show threadJD🌊Dec 20, 2022
@AbandonedAmerica You would think that in Philadelphia they would know better. Thanks for sharing it's story and documenting it's beauty. It is a shame.
Show threadAbandoned AmericaDec 20, 2022
@jeandiva hahaha hoooo boy. Philadelphia is absolutely abysmal for historic preservation and it's the first World Heritage City in the US. It is enough to give you a migraine looking into it. It's absolutely shameful.
Show threadJD🌊Dec 20, 2022
@AbandonedAmerica We have a church here in the Bay area, St. Brigid's in SF. It was closed in 1994, although it was still quite active and solvent. The exterior was given landmark designation, and although it was purchased by a big real estate speculator, it also got some internal structural protection on appeal as an exception to state law. Story here:
http://www.st-brigid.org/
St. Brigid Catholic Church - San Francisco, California

A landmark in San Francisco. Noted for its Romanesque architecture, Irish stained-glass windows, and Ruffatti organ. Help us save ...

Show threadAbandoned AmericaDec 20, 2022
@jeandiva looks gorgeous!
Show threadTankboy87Dec 20, 2022
@AbandonedAmerica nothing makes me happier than a church being torn down.
Show threadAbandoned AmericaDec 20, 2022
@tankboy87 you know, I'm an agnostic with no particular love for any religion. But you also have to separate the space from the dogma. Every building is problematic in some way. But if you look at a place as a work of art that can never and will never be replicated, the absence of reuse plans becomes a lot more upsetting. I realize I won't change your mind but it does make me sad that people don't separate the two more. We lose so much because of it.