This summer, the chant on Bay Ridge Ave and 4th St was “The church is not falling down!” but the church is most definitely coming down now. Demolition has begun on the “Green Church” that its small congregation fought so hard to save. Preservationists in the area are horrified that this unique colossus in green stone is being destroyed to make room for new development. Today, we watched them dismantle the clock tower, and it appears they’ve already carted off the large stained glass pieces on the east and north faces. All in all, it’s a sad state of affairs, because they just don’t make ’em like they used to. Couldn’t they just gut the church and convert it into some luxe condos? We all wish we could see the blueprints of what developers are planning to build in its place.
–Vanessa Lee Raymond
7 responses so far ↓
1 deborah matlack // Oct 14, 2008 at 11:59 am
I am not a member of Bay Ridge United Methodist Church, but an interested neighbor. Apparently, the green stone (serpentine?) is crumbling and the costs of rehabilitating would be way over the top. So it would not be advantageous to gut the building and create condos. The point being that the structure itself is falling apart.
2 Brenda from Flatbush // Oct 14, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I wonder who gets all that nifty (if crumbling) stone. I would love to (reverently) make a path or garden wall out of it.
3 Luke VL // Oct 14, 2008 at 1:09 pm
The small congregation had to fight NIMBYs to save the church — which is not the same as the building. Luckily they fought and won against their nosy neighbors who tried to force them to continue spending what little money they have on a building they no longer needed or could afford to maintain. If a developer came along with a plan to keep or use some of the structure, the congregation would have entertained an offer. However, there wasn’t one — who would want to have to deal with the hoops that they would have to jump through to get anything developed there or quite frankly anywhere in NYC these days?
4 Blue Tangent // Oct 15, 2008 at 10:39 am
Not every historic or architecturally important building can be saved . Still it is so sad to see this one go. You will miss it when its gone, Brooklyn.
I’d be interested to know what the stone is ( I’d guess Bluestone) Serpentine is, I think, a gemstone. It has interesting properties:
“In healing usage, serpentine is very powerful. It aids the clearing of blocked areas, brings the chakras back in balance and also is very beneficial for the heart chakra. Its properties promotes good luck and helps people in achieving their dreams and desires. ” – Gem World
Here’s a relevant comment from a congergation that had to surrender their church building to more financially powerful interests . “They kept the furniture, we kept the faith”
5 Irvin // Oct 17, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Nice homey website!
Makes me wish I were in NYC / Brooklyn.
Cheers.
6 Irvin // Oct 17, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Greetings from Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
7 The Phantom // Oct 21, 2008 at 10:31 pm
The congregation had dwindled, but the pastor appeared actively hostile to any and all attempts to save it that didn’t involve destruction.
I think that the reports of the building’s structural weakness are a lie. Which architect said such a thing?
More comments on the Bay Ridge Blog ( link above ) .
What happened today was a sin against God and man. Shame on Pastor Emerick.