St. Joseph Byzantine Catholic Church, situated in the Union-Miles Park neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio, was originally built in 1913 and reconstructed in 1933. It boasted architectural styles inspired by Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival, featuring intricate interior frescoes that distinguished it as one of the most ornate churches in the area.
During the 1970s, the congregation of St. Joseph’s dwindled alongside the decline of the surrounding neighborhood, leading to its closure in 1980. Subsequently, the building was repurposed for another church before being left vacant in 2002.
St. Joseph’s was a popular subject for photography, including my own. Upon my visit, I observed that the flooring system had been dismantled for scrap steel, with the wood flooring carelessly discarded into the remnants of the crawlspace.
In early 2016, the decision was made to demolish the church.
Reflecting on this, I am reminded of the words of architectural photographer and historical preservationist Richard Nickel, who once remarked that “great architecture has only two natural enemies: water and stupid men.” I find myself in agreement with this sentiment.
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