Historic Pennsylvania Church Faces Demolition
York, Penn., sanctuary could be saved if sold
By Rachel Bucci | Online Only | May 23, 2011
York,
Penn., residents learned
recently that historic Trinity United Methodist Church faces demolition unless
$400,000 in repairs can be completed within the next six months. The
114-year-old sanctuary, designed by Harry E. Yessler, features elaborate
stained glass and woodwork, an ornate ceiling, a series of religious murals--and
a failing truss system. Church leaders, who were unavailable for comment, have
said that the dwindling congregation does not have the funds to complete needed
repairs.
But according to Scott Butcher, recent president of the Board of Directors of
Historic York and author of York's
Historic Architecture, "There is definitely community interest in
preserving the church," says Butcher. "I think it's safe to say the
church was quite surprised by the negative reaction and how swift it was."
During an April meeting with church leadership, city officials, and the local Historic Architectural Review Board, members of Historic York and engineers, discussed alternatives to demolition, including adaptive use. In what may be the first step toward that prospect, the church listed the property for sale.
"I'm a big fan of adaptive reuse," Butcher says. "There is a lot of old building stock in York that has been reused for another purpose. It has allowed our streetscape to be preserved." He points to the landmark 1898 County Court House, an ornate Classical Revival building that has been repurposed for municipal offices. Butcher adds, "It has a LEED rating and [could be] a great example to the community of how to reuse and how to do so sustainably."
The church is currently listed for sale at $225,000, well below the assessed value of $752,000, says listing agent David Keech of York's Rock Commercial Reality. Keech says the price takes into account the necessary repairs. To date, three other churches have expressed interest, and one institutional buyer, who would presumably adapt the building, has toured the property, he says.
Trinity's application to extend the demolition order for six months was approved last week, on the condition that the church goes through an additional engineering review. The goal is to provide additional time to find a buyer.
"The desire here is to find someone who can use the structure, make the repairs and continue making the church a useful part of the community," says Keech. "The church is trying to keep everyone happy. Which is not any easy task."
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Comments
Submitted by Steven at: May 31, 2011
DON"T DEMOLISH THIS CHURCH OR GOD WILL GET YOU!! Really, save this church, it's too wonderful to pull down.
Submitted by Scott Butcher at: May 24, 2011
Thank you for bringing this important situation to light. The neighborhood surrounding Trinity UMC has seen two grand buildings demolished in the past, so saving this building is vital to the neighborhood. One point of clarification: it is the 1898 York County Court House that has LEED Certification, something that was achieved as a result of a 2006 rehabilitation and adaptive reuse project.