A Fine Building to be Lost

[Sukerkin]

I might be noted here for my lack of sympathy with organised religion but I am saddened to hear of the loss of this church from my town

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-18296877

http://alittlebitofstone.com/2012/05/31/st-johns-church-to-go-up-for-sale/

How on earth did things come to such a pass that they need knocking on for two million Pounds to fix it? It makes me even sadder when I read of the length of time this has been a place of worship for, tho' I might not agree with their beliefs, I do respect a group of peoples determination and commitment:

A bit of history:

St John’s Church was formed from the congregations of the Methodist Chapel and United Reformed Church.

Religious non-conformity has existed in Stone since the time of Oliver Cromwell. The first non-conformists were Puritans and Independents, who later became Congregationalists. They were followed in the late 1700s by the Methodist New Connexion, Wesleyan Methodists and Primitive Methodists.

The building in which the congregation of St John’s worships is the former Congregational Church, having been built in 1780/81. this church replaced an Independent Chapel, which was in Chapel Street (now Station Road).

The Methodists had a number of meeting rooms and in 1821 the Methodist New Connexion opened a Chapel in Abbey Street and closed by them in 1875. The Wesleyans build a Chapel in 1879 in Gower Street (now The Avenue) opposite St John’s car park.

Shortly after the formation of St John’s Methodist and United Reformed Church, the Wesleyan Chapel was closed and the site sold for house building.

The original foundation stones are built into the walls of the link building at St John’s .

The inauguration ceremony took place on 23rd January 1977. In spite of the different backgrounds and worship traditions, we have, with the help of the Holy Spirit, been enabled to move forward in Christian love and fellowship and pride ourselves on being a “ Family Church ”​

 

[Sukerkin]

To give a little perspective on this loss, the church is very nearly as old as 'America'. Two hundred and thirty years in use and now it's going be left to some grasping 'developer' to turn into flats no doubt ... or Luxury Apartments as they like to call them. Mind you, the fact that is Listed probably means that it'll just be left to rot (a great ironic affect of the legislation designed to preserve buildings of special noteworthyness).

 

[Carol]

That is a shame. I hope they can find a use for the building that keeps some of its majesty.

And with the irony to go along with the registration -- I'm guessing advancement in building codes are part of the prohibitive cost. You can't fix it to be as good as it originally was, it must be brought up to today's standards. There are a few towns in rural New Hampshire that has become kind of a magnet for liberty-minded people...the town doesn't have any building codes, which leaves property owners free to explore a variety of building plans...from the traditional to just plain odd.

Sometimes good intentions pave a fine road to ...

 

[K-man]

We have a home that is on the Historic Buildings Register. The irony is that the Register prevents development which in turn reduces the value of the whole property (land component) so there is no incentive for someone to buy it. The outbuildings are falling into disrepair and I can't afford to restore them. The Government applies the restrictions but does nothing to help with the upkeep.

It brings to mind the chorus of an old college song ..

It's the same the whole world over.
It's a shame, a bloody shame.
It's the rich what gets the pleasure,
and the poor what gets the blame!