The Rust Belt defines a vast declining industrial corridor of the United States roughly between Chicago and Albany, New York, and dominating many of those once-bustling communities are churches. Many were built as domestic steel mills were being constructed across the country in the early 20th century, and many were closed with the collapse of the steel industry.
Towering over the modest residences in its vicinity, the soaring blue limestone and Ohio sandstone faced Roman Catholic church is one of the most recognizable symbols of Albany, New York’s rich history. It’s also one of the most endangered.
St. Joseph Byzantine Catholic Church, formerly located in the Union-Miles Park neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio, was recently demolished.
Farewell, Kentucky.
Exploring western Pennsylvania, the heart of the Rust Belt.
From the window of my hotel room in Beckley, I could see the leaves billowing down the street among a fine rain punctuated by dark, gloomy skies. It was perfect road trip weather,
Olympia, Kentucky is an interesting dot on the local map. Over a 10 minute period on March 3, 1876, a large part of red meat began raining down over Olympia. Referred to as the Kentucky meat shower, the meat was identified as either venison or mutton. Samples that weren’t being quickly devoured by hogs and chicken were sent to Transylvania University in…
It was announced today that the American rock band, Foxy Shazam, is disbanding for an unknown period of time. I am under the assumption that after performing more than 2,000 shows, the band members just need some time to breathe and be with their families.
One of my favorite music videos, for I Like It, from the aptly named The Church of Rock and Roll, was filmed in the abandoned First German Reformed Church in the West End neighborhood of Cincinnati – their hometown.
While the demise of rural life in many areas is overstated, there are many areas that are in long-term decline, brought about by sustained job losses and single-focus economies. In Cannel City, Kentucky’s case, it was coal and timber.
The Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church is located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was host to a Slovak Catholic congregation. Designed by F.W. Wilson of McKeesport in the Gothic Revival architectural style, the building’s stance on the side of a hill, with its 150-foot tower, was to evoke a commanding presence over the Monongahela River valley.
St. John Berchmans Catholic Church and Servite Catholic High School is located on the east side of Detroit, Michigan and operated as a combination church and school. It’s first iteration, as St. John Berchmans Catholic Church and elementary school and Servite Catholic high school, lasted until 1986. It reopened in 1996 as the Colin Powell Academy, a charter school, that lasted until 2010.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its amazing architecture, the Woodward Avenue Presbyterian Church in Detroit needs to be saved.
St. Andrew Catholic Church was located in the Avondale neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, and was in operation from 1875 until its merger in 2010.
Over the summer, I was able to venture into the closed St. Mark Catholic Church in Cincinnati, Ohio to photograph more of its intricate elements, and to follow up on two prior visits. Located in the Evanston neighborhood, the parish was dedicated to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, and during its first fifty years, there were 24 priestly vocations, which included one bishop, two religious brothers and 36 religious sisters.
This Queen Anne-styled building at 2313 East 55th Street in Cleveland, Ohio was not only a residence, but home to several businesses and murders.
For far too long, cities in the United States have taken the case of rehabilitation of historic properties with a grain of salt. It is typically done towards the end-stage for a neighborhood, when there are precious few buildings left to save or when gentrification has set afoot. But what happens when there is no case of future rehabilitation of a particular neighborhood, when the building is stripped, gutted and left to collapse upon itself?
Located in the Northwest Goldberg neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan, King Solomon Baptist Church‘s facility at Marquette and 14th Street was best known for becoming a popular venue for influential black leaders.
Endangered historic sites: St. Mark Catholic Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Closed since July 2010, St. Mark Catholic Church in Cincinnati, Ohio is an endangered gem, along with St. Andrew and countless other churches within the Queen City.
There is a tale of two churches in Cincinnati, Ohio with two similar stories: Our Lady of Perpetual Help and the First German Reformed Church.