A Fall River Church

[augusta]

I found this old postcard of the Pilgrim Congregational Church in Fall River. I never heard of the church before. I wonder if it is still standing? Or where was/is it?

On the back of the card someone made some sort of list:

Capsules
Cerate
Liqour
quarterly course 23.00
Full course 75.00
________
1/4 rectal supp. 8.00
Laxatives .50 cts box

The dangdest thing ...

[mbhenty]

Yes:

The old Congressional Church building still stands in the South End of the city.

It's pretty much still intact.

It sits on Center Street close to the corner of South Main, just 4 blocks south of St Anne's Church.

No longer a Congressional Church, it now belongs to the protestant Church of God of Prophecy, a not well known branch of Christianity with much of its doctrinal dogma established within the Pentecostal faith, but not belonging to that protestant branch.

If you notice.........the three decker to the left of the church still stands also.

[mbhenty]

Yes, like in many New England towns, fall river has and had its share of beautiful church buildings.

Once emptied or closed, these churches come into great demand, and once acquired are quickly demolished and made into parking lots. And the excuse given is always the same. It cost to much to repair. True, times are hard and once abandoned these old buildings may sit for years. Still, I would rather they sit empty then be demolished. No value in history here.

In my life time I remember many fall river fires. Many of them have been churches, with NOTRE DAME Notre Dame in the east end of the city being the biggest. I also remember the small Lebonese church on Quequechan street, SAINT ANTHONY'S, when it burnt down. I remember the huge SAINT PETER AND PAUL'S on Cambridge Street when it burnt down. I remember the UNITARIAN CHURCH on North Main Street when it burnt down. I remember SAINT STANISLAUSE the polish church on Rockland Street when it burnt down.

Last year two wonderful buildings, churches, were demolished. SAINT LOUIS'S on Bradford Ave, because some group wanted the land, and SAINT JOHN'S a couple of hundred feet away, a wonderful small granite church with nothing wrong with it, only because a credit union wanted the land for parking.

I can't help but sense that tragedy is in the cards for the CC Church on Rock Street. The building is empty, up for sale, and city officials are poking the heavens with there pitch forks and torches calling for something to be done.

Churches are by far some of the most beautiful architecture, with the most functional and artistic use of stone, wood and glass. Too little respect have been bestowed on these establishments, most built with the sweat and soul of countless thousands over untold decades.

YEA?

So what? (some would say)

[mbhenty]

Ah, yes, here are two more wonderful church buildings I remember, and which were demolished not long ago. (30 to 35 years ago)

Both these churches were demolished because they were assumed to have structural problems. How bad they were I couldn't really say.......though there was rumor that the towers of Saint Matthews were discovered to be swaying. Whether true or rumor, again, I couldn't say.

When the Union Methodist Church was demolished, an industrial steel building replaced it, topped with a frivolous sad little spire on its roof. You can see it in the photo below. The last photo (postcard) is what stood in it's place

[augusta]

Yes, the churches of Fall River are so beautiful. That's great, mb, that you knew the Pilgrim Cong. church I asked about. I had no clue about where it was. I am glad to know it still stands (along with the house across the street). Wow - if Central Congregational church gets torn down, that's gonna be a bummer. The Lizzie history there ... I ate there not too long before it closed, and I really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. I worshipped one Sunday at the Church of the Ascension. It's Episcopal, and so am I + the Lizzie tie-in. I understand Grace Howe was a member. That's old inside, and at the time they - like many churches today, including my own in SE Michigan - were down on membership and I don't think they had a permanent priest, as many today don't. (They use fill-ins, like retired priests.) That would be another one I would flinch at hearing it was gonna go. I've been in First Congregational, when Stef (Koorey) spoke twice, I think. That's old inside. I used to hear that when times were tough, more people go to church, but I haven't noticed any big onrush at my church. The churches in a town are pretty much the main thing I look at when I'm in a new place. So much beauty, and I like how you phrased that about what the people who built them put into it. So sad, the many fires you described.