R.I.P.: THE DEATH OF A VICTORIAN

This post is going to be very different (as you will easily see) from all the posts typically seen on this blog.  How so?  This post will be dominated by pictures -- all educational/informative illustrations created by architectural historian Tim Barrett.

In a nutshell, this is about one of the most intrusive and destructive remodeling ever done to a historic structure, having occurred in 2020.  Seen in the Ohio City neighborhood at the southwest corner of West 32nd and Carroll, it was for many years the First German Reformed Church.  Fast-forward to sometime in the second half of the 20th century, it was acquired by the Jesuit order, to become part of their ever-expanding campus of Ignatius High School, but no longer used as a church.  

Please follow along with the information and views in the illustrations below.  As you know, "A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words"!!!  [Note; You most likely will have to use your device's zooming tool.]

Mr. Barrett says: "Although this was never intended to be a grand church. this, one of the region's oldest extant sacred structures, is now a pastiche that only serves to confuse its own history."

Mr. Barrett, contemplating a possible 'reversal' sometime in a more enlightened future, adds, "Removing the new brick wouldn't be a problem.  That's probably reversible.  However, the concrete slurry now bonded with the historic brick would totally destroy that brick if you even tried to somehow separate the two.  What was done has totally and irreversibly eliminated the visible restoration of the original historic material and appearance of this building.  Tragically, it was only exposed for a few weeks.  O yes, it's there, like the buried dead below ground in our cemeteries, and like the dead, we'll never see them or it again." 

 

"BACK IN BLACK!"

How surprised some or all of you must now be to see a new post on this blog after the few years that have passed in which you saw none.  The only "excuse" for that is certain 'greater' priorities that persisted during that period.

But, right now, in the late-autumn of 2023, a different priority, strictly related to this blog, suddenly appeared.  Google (the 'parent' company) does not like to see blogs with zero activity for somewhat long periods of time.  They served their official warning that either there be more posting or the blog would be taken down.  Regardless of any 'greater' priorities, taking down the blog was definitely not acceptable at this end.

There is at least one topic that would be typical for the theme of this blog that can be formulated and posted, 'forthwith'.  The present intention is to post it perhaps as soon as later today.  It's likely true that this post alone will 'rescue' the blog from 'extermination', which then should mean that there isn't a need to be in a hurry to post more, but the preference now is to want to try to follow it with more posting ("post-haste").

Thank you to all of you who ever chose to want to look at the posts on this blog.  It should be true you had no trouble finding others out there posting things of interest to you, and thereby you suffered no 'loss' due to the absence of the posting on this blog.  But, as of now, spotlighting on this blog the more recent anti-preservation horrors, which have surely have continued unabated in this historic neighborhood, is back on track.