PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Demolition of historic St. Laurentius Church has begun in Fishtown. Crews surrounded the 140-year-old Catholic church on Berks Street with scaffolding, fencing and barricades as they began the demolition.
Many neighborhood residents got their final glances at the structure on Wednesday before it all comes down. They stopped to take pictures and pointed to the huge cross that was once affixed to the building, now lying against a fence.
For years, the church was at the center of a legal battle between preservationists and developers.
In 2014, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia deconsecrated the church. Two years later, developer Leo Voloshin's plan to construct apartments was approved, but former parishioners filed suit to keep the church.
In January 2019, Council president Darrell Clarke approved spot zoning for the church's parcel of land so the development could begin. Approval for demolition came in 2021.
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Loretta Wallace, a crossing guard for the church’s school, says it breaks her heart to see it go.
“I was here when a two-ton boulder fell down onto the street near the crossing guard at this corner, so from that point of view, it’s a good thing,” said Wallace.
In fact, those stones and boulders have been crashing down from the church, shaking homes in the process — one of the many reasons it was deemed structurally unsound.
“I don't want to see a church, regardless of denomination, to come down,” said Margaret Ann Ramsey. “It’s always been part of the area, so it's sad, especially for the people who belong to this parish.”
“I think it’s sad,” said Bailey, who also lives in the neighborhood. “I feel like it should be something that the community can use or the school could use since that’s what it was before.”
“I’ve lived in the neighborhood for about 10 years. I think it’s a shame that it is coming down,” Zach Hawkins added. “I know that it could have been preserved, but it just took too long to stabilize the building.”
Pat Loeb contributed to this report.