Rounding out my church explores from Detroit come a pair of Lutheran churches. Both had limited amounts to photograph hence putting them both in the same thread.
The first is, or was, a beautiful historic mid-sized church. The almost entirely wooden structure was severely damaged by a fire in June 2016 which took out the entire roof, balcony level and parts of the exterior walls. What is left is a shocking mess, the roof timbers and slates collapsed into the lower level of the church leaving piled up debris everywhere on top of the fixtures and fittings all of which remained in situ since closure. What alarmed me the most was it's extreme close proximity to the nice occupied house next door, in certain areas you could look through holes in the wall and peer into their garden, or stare straight into the upstairs windows from the balcony level.
I wanted to get an exterior photo but unfortunately didn't get the opportunity as there was a nosey neighbour clearing a garden opposite the access point.
The final church I explored in Detroit was of a much more standard construction but no less unusual in style. There were two sets of perpendicular pews with only one set facing where the altar was, and the entire floor level was sloping by design - bar one area under one of the windows which was beginning to collapse into the basement. There was also a large church school building next door, equally as empty, but our Detroit contact said it wasn't worth going into. They are usually the sort of buildings where you'd run into a squatter, junkie, or scrapper so it's not worth the risk.
Thanks for looking, still lots more to come
The first is, or was, a beautiful historic mid-sized church. The almost entirely wooden structure was severely damaged by a fire in June 2016 which took out the entire roof, balcony level and parts of the exterior walls. What is left is a shocking mess, the roof timbers and slates collapsed into the lower level of the church leaving piled up debris everywhere on top of the fixtures and fittings all of which remained in situ since closure. What alarmed me the most was it's extreme close proximity to the nice occupied house next door, in certain areas you could look through holes in the wall and peer into their garden, or stare straight into the upstairs windows from the balcony level.
I wanted to get an exterior photo but unfortunately didn't get the opportunity as there was a nosey neighbour clearing a garden opposite the access point.
The final church I explored in Detroit was of a much more standard construction but no less unusual in style. There were two sets of perpendicular pews with only one set facing where the altar was, and the entire floor level was sloping by design - bar one area under one of the windows which was beginning to collapse into the basement. There was also a large church school building next door, equally as empty, but our Detroit contact said it wasn't worth going into. They are usually the sort of buildings where you'd run into a squatter, junkie, or scrapper so it's not worth the risk.
Thanks for looking, still lots more to come