After long fight, Washington’s ‘ugliest church’ meets the wrecking ball

[hrmjustin]

Amanda Murphy

WASHINGTON (RNS) So long, ugly church. Very few people will miss you.

After years of protracted legal battles, a small band of Christian Scientists within a stone’s throw of the White House have something to cheer about: The church they called home for nearly 40 years, often mistaken for a bunker, will soon be no more.

Members of the Third Church of Christ, Scientist, have tried for years to tear down their windowless building, built in 1971 at the height of “brutalist” architecture. In Washington, as in most cities, there’s not much appetite for brutalism anymore.

Except among some preservationists who, perhaps seeing the writing on the church’s octagon-shaped concrete walls, in 1991 applied for historic landmark status for the building without the church’s knowledge.

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/03/13/long-fight-washingtons-ugliest-church-meets-wrecking-ball/

[rug]

1. How could you not post the picture?

In better days:



The sanctuary:

[hrmjustin]

2. I haven't figured out yet how to do this on the tablet.

Still figuring out this thing.

[goldent]

4. Not great, but I've seen worse

I wonder what was behind the preservationists who applied for historic landmark status for the building.

[kentauros]

3. Well, it does look more like a municipal courthouse,

inside and out, than a church

I hope they're salvaging the windows (at least it looks that way) versus just smashing them. And I wonder how many people got in there before the salvage crews to strip out the copper wiring...