DO OR DIE TIME: Church of the Assumption

You can’t see it yet, but there’s a wrecking ball hovering near the twin spires of the 1849 Church of the Assumption, a landmark on Spring Garden Street between 11th & 12th.

The final Historical Commission hearing will be held on Friday, September 10, at 9:00 am at 1515 Arch Street, Room 18-029. It is open to the public and anyone interested in seeing this building survive for another 160 years should attend.   This meeting will determine the ultimate fate of the landmark.

Siloam wants “hardship” relief from the Commission because they can’t afford to maintain or repair the structure, and claims that no one wants to buy it.

Neighbors have information that several people have tried to buy the church over the last year.  (In  July 2009, Siloam deflected a potential buyer by destroying many of the interior architectural features of the building.)

Additional Plan Philly coverage  here.

Brownstoner Philadelphia (interesting comments)

Previous Time Machine posts here and here

It’s sad when a building’s story ends up with “… and then it was purchased by someone who never had the resources to manage [insert appropriate resource here] such a complex of fine historic buildings and was torn down at great expense.”