Statement from the Cleveland Restoration Society

Regarding the Closure of Churches

Announced by the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland

on Sunday, March 15, 2009

 

The Issue:

Cleveland is a city with a rich history of ethnic groups immigrating to it and constructing churches and synagogues reflecting religious beliefs, particular cultures and an aspiration for a better life.  Perhaps no other single building type better tells the story of our city.  The congregations that built these edifices built for the ages, in many instances creating extraordinary sacred landmark structures that represent the best architectural and artistic expressions of their time.  Now, after decades of outmigration from Cleveland, Akron, Lorain and the demographic changes in inner-ring suburbs, the congregations that built these structures, in many instances, are radically diminished and unable to sustain them.

 

Our Work in Sacred Landmarks:

The Cleveland Restoration Society has become intimately familiar with the challenges of maintaining sacred landmarks through its Sacred Landmarks Assistance Program started in 1989. Over the last 20 years we have:

• provided preservation technical assistance to hundreds of congregations;
• coached dozens of congregations on fundraising;
• convened many educational programs on practical topics of concern;
• given many organized tours of these buildings;
• sponsored 7 Sacred Landmarks Benefits, netting $250K;
• developed educational events to put a positive spotlight on these landmarks and their plight;
• permanently illuminated 16 church steeples;
• sponsored a training program with Partners for Sacred Places (Philadelphia, PA) for 12 Catholic congregations on conducting capital campaigns; and
• convened four (4) meetings with community development corporations and Cleveland City Hall departments to learn about the Diocese’s clustering process and to foster relationship between these parties.

 

Our Relationship with the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland:

Over the years, we have developed a valuable working relationship with the Diocese.  The Diocese has called on us for technical assistance when congregations were struggling with repair and maintenance issues.  We have provided direct technical assistance to approximately 62 Catholic churches, and have a close relationship with many of the leaders at these congregations as they tend to be repeat customers for our advice and programs. 

We have seen the Diocesan clustering process unfold over these last few years and know it to be a complex, thoughtful and deliberate process starting from the congregational level, and making its way up the ladder of church hierarchy.  We are confident that our close work with many congregations with landmark facilities has informed this process in a very important way.  We are mindful of the Catholic Diocese’s good stewardship of its properties over the years and thank them for this investment of financial and human resources. 

 

Our Commitment to the Future:

Our mission is to help preserve landmarks, and this work takes many forms.  We will continue to work in partnership with the Catholic Diocese to address the future of their closed churches.  We call upon the entire Cleveland community to participate in this continued and adaptive-use effort so that we build a better tomorrow together.

 

What We Will Do:

The Cleveland Restoration Society has plans to develop a web-based resource that will offer case studies of successful adaptive uses in Cleveland, and in other places, information on historic preservation incentives, and technical briefs on matters of particular concern to this building type.  We will continue to convene interested parties in the revitalization arena for the purpose of facilitating the productive re-use of the structures.  We will continue to advise congregations of any denomination on proper and cost effective landmark stewardship methods.

 

• Stained Glass Windows with Religious Iconography:

These features are considered sacred artifacts and the Diocese intends to remove them at the time of church closure.  They serve an important interpretive religious function, and in many cases, were purchased through the donations of families, often bearing the name of the donors.  Stained glass windows are expensive to maintain, and they are valuable when sold on the open market.  For these reasons, we understand the Diocese’s desire to remove them, safeguard them from damage and vandalism, and reuse them in other Catholic structures rather than in a secular setting. 

In certain instances, should a non-Catholic congregation purchase a building from the Diocese, an evaluation should be made of retaining the windows, with Diocesan consent, for their continued use.  To do so would preserve the architectural integrity of the building
 

• Long Term Mothballing:

The Diocese is aware of the best practices for the proper mothballing of landmark structures.  A great deal of information is available on this topic.  Essential tasks include thorough photo documentation, broom-clean interiors, protection against water infiltration, closed windows, and installation of mechanical equipment to provide needed ventilation, especially against moisture build-up.  Significant efforts should be considered to protect the building(s) against burglary of their artifacts, including consideration of exterior and interior security lighting systems, alarm systems and private security forces.

• Churches with Highly Significant Interiors:

It is CRS’s hope that the Catholic Diocese may find special ways and make a significant effort to preserve the most extraordinary of its churches.  Some structures that close as a church may be valuable as historic buildings, as places for certain ceremonial events, or could be adaptively used for a church purpose without greatly altering the windows, woodwork and walls.  This would allow for the most significant buildings to be retained in a purer form.

• Demolition of Churches:

No one wants to see Cleveland’s magnificent Catholic churches demolished, and certainly not the Catholic Diocese itself.  It is our hope that all efforts will be made to avoid costly demolition of these monumental structures.  It is painful to lose the purpose of these buildings, but it would be devastating to lose a building altogether.  Today we are all aware of the environmental costs of demolition – bursting landfills, use of energy to demolish the structure and to truck materials to the landfill, and the loss of the value of energy embodied in the church itself. 

• The Adaptive Use of Catholic Churches:

Now it is time to create a new future for many of these churches and their campuses.  It is difficult to let go of the past, yet we can make a bright future for ourselves from this situation.  It is our commitment to assist the Diocese and potential new owners of these structures, in envisioning adaptive use possibilities, drawing upon models from Europe, Canada and other communities in the United States. There are already in Cleveland successful examples of adaptive use including the offices of Nottingham-Spirk Design Associates, 2200 Overlook Road (Cleveland); Convivium 33 Gallery/Josaphat Arts Hall, 1433 East 33rd Street (Cleveland); Brownstones at Derbyshire, 2419 Euclid Heights Boulevard (Cleveland Heights) and Heights Youth Club, 2065 Lee Road (Cleveland Heights).

 

Contact the Cleveland Restoration Society to further discuss this important issue.