City Methodist Church History, Travel Information, Hotels, Facts And More
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PERSONAL INFORMATION
NAME
City Methodist Church
OTHER NAMES
City United Methodist Church
COUNTRY
America
ADDRESS
577, Washington St, Gary, IN 46402, United States Of America
CITY METHODIST CHURCH PICTURE
More Information
About City Methodist Church
The City Methodist Church was once known as the biggest Methodist church in the midwest. It was abandoned after 50 years of use as a place of worship. Dr. William Grant Seaman became the pastor in the 1916. The incredible gothic structure was a casualty of the Indiana Steel industry crash.
Some Lesser Known Facts About City Methodist Church
- The gothic architecture of the church is stunning, which took 21 months in the making and cost around $800,000.
- The construction began in the year 1925 and the first service was held on October 3, 1926. The organ was denoted by Elbery Gary, after whom the city is named.
- The land that the church is built on, was once owned by US steel.
- By the year 1927, the congregation was around 1,700 and had a staff of six members. It reached the height of its popularity, when the members reached 3000.
- By the 70s, the church had lost most of its fortunes, and its popularity dwindled. By 1973, there were only 320 members left in the congregation. It soon became an example of urban decay. By 1975, the church was closed for good.
- A new historical marker was added to the site recently. It explains the history of the church, and is a symbol of the city, what it stood for and what it may be in the future.
- The crumbling structure has turned into an urban ruin and has invited many movie makers, anti-social acts, etc. The site is vandalized and neglected. Movies like "nightmare on elm street" have used the site as a shooting location.
- The churched, is sometimes dubbed as "Seaman's folly", referring to the size of the establishment and the colossal maintenance bills, adding onto the white flight and downsizing, that ultimately resulted in it's downfall and abandonment.
- At the time of the census in 2010, the population was around 80,249, which is a 55% decrease from the population in 1960s.
- The city church incapsulates the rise and fall of the steel city, and as a monument of segregation and racism.
- The churched, is sometimes dubbed as "Seaman's folly", referring to the size of the establishment and the colossal maintenance bills, adding onto the white flight and downsizing, that ultimately resulted in it's downfall and abandonment.
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